Harry Potter and the Warlock of Black
by Veriseple
Summary: Two weeks after Sirius's death Harry attends the reading of his godfather's will. However he is completely unprepared as everything he knows and believes about himself is revealed to be one lie after another. Harry struggles to answer the hardest question of his life. Who is Harry Potter? Grey!Dumbledore Grey!Harry eventually Political!Harry Deviates from cannon prior to HBP
1. Chapter 1: Sirius's Will

**A/N: So this is a different take on the Harry Potter world from some of my previous fanfictions. In this one while it will likely end up just as political as some of the other fanfictions I am working on it lack the fandom Lords and Noble Houses. With this fanfic I am taking a somewhat closer to cannon approach on the world before I suddenly take a sharp left and veer away. On that note I should mention that there will be a very sharp deviation from cannon elements rather shortly and the chances of return are slim to none. Anyways expect me to try and tackle a few things I absolutely adore in fanfics but haven't seen done yet (that I know of I have hardly read every fanfic out there) and trying my own spin on it. Expect Grey but not not maniacally evil Dumbledore also. As always the private messages and reviews are always appreciated.**

 **It should be mentioned that I do not own Harry Potter. I can only thank Rowling for this sandbox that so many individuals, myself included, get to dream in. I write only because I have read so many fanfics that I've begun having my own ideas that refuse to get out of my head.**

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Harry lay in his bed as outside his window the morning light was just starting to creep up in the east. It was already light enough that he could read the elegant script of the letter he held in his hand. His fingers lightly traced over each letter one by one rereading it for the thousandth time, his eyes followed but were hollow as he relived for the millionth time that instant when his godfather Sirius Black had fallen through the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries's Death Chamber. In three years Sirius Black had gone from the man who had betrayed his parents and murdered thirteen muggles, to his innocent godfather who was going to take him away from the Dursleys and their abuse. Then in the same night that he'd learned that wonderful fact he'd yet again become a fugitive on the run when Peter Petigrew, the true traitor, had disappeared into the night and Sirius had been left high and dry once more.

He'd performed seemingly impossible magic by repelling over a hundred Dementors a few hours before rescuing Sirius a second time only to watch him fly off on Hippogriff back away from Hogwarts. Since then through letters and floo chats Sirius had become Harry's confidant and source of advice such as when he had been about to face the Hungarian Horntail in the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Sirius had been one of few who had believed without a doubt that Harry had been innocent of submitting his name. And then before his fifth year during his time at 12 Grimmuald Place Sirius had once been a source of stability. As much as Harry hated to admit it Sirius had come to be a father figure to him, more than just his role as Harry's Godfather, but in some way to Harry's mind, his true father. He had never known his real father James, his only memory of his mother Lily was found only with the help of the Dementors as she begged with Voldemort on the night of her death.

And now Sirius was dead and Harry was adrift once more. True he wasn't completely alone, glancing to the side at the window the opened letters from Ron and Hermione were stacked up already. There had even been a pair of letters from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in that stack both wishing him well in the aftermath of Sirius's death. As much as he liked his best guy friend's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley weren't parent figures to him either, after all he hadn't spent much more time with them than he had with Sirius and there had been even less of a bond there despite how much Mrs. Weasley mothered over him.

So Harry was once more alone and adrift without a father or mother and now without a godfather. His godmother of course was Mrs. Longbottom who though still alive was confined to St. Mungo's likely for the rest of her life due to her experience at the tender mercies of the Cruciatus Curse.

With a sigh he sat up and set the letter he'd been holding the whole time on the bed before glancing at the clock and seeing that it was almost six in the morning. With a sigh he got up and left his room to briefly make a trip to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day ahead being as quiet as possible and as quick as possible to avoid the Dursleys.

He was back in his room less than ten minutes later his hair still wet. He glanced at himself in the mirror hanging on his wall. He was finally starting to grow past his underfed size that had plagued him through years of the Dursleys. Hogwarts food ten months out of the year had helped of course. He was even barely starting to show muscle tone though it wasn't much given he had been absent a year of Quiditch, true as a seeker he had been lean anyways but contrary to popular belief flying around on brooms did require a certain level of muscle and most quiditch players usually came out with a lean build. Beaters of course had more pronounced upper body builds but given that they swung bats at flying cannonballs in midair that went without saying.

He took a comb to his hair briefly trying and failing as always to tame the classic Potter hair that had plagued him all his life. Giving up thirty seconds in like always he quickly got dressed. Today in half an hour Mad Eye Moody and Tonks from the Order of the Phoenix would be taking him to Gringotts for the reading of Sirius's will. As much as he wanted to avoid the finality of Sirius's death as it turned out in wizarding law, any person named in a will reading for any reason was required to be there. He selected a set of open robes over muggle clothes. As always the clothes were second hand, anything nice would be suspicious to the Dursleys but at least these fit him after he'd snuck out to a thrift store a few days previous. A trip to Gringotts at the beginning of summer had converted a few galleons into several hundred pounds of British Muggle currency and it had been more than enough to at least get him clothes that fit as opposed to Dudley's old hand-offs. He'd been purchasing new second hand clothes that fit him ever since the end of his third year when the threat of his supposedly murderous godfather had gotten the Dursleys to back off enough that he could catch the Knight's Bus wherever he needed to go.

He slipped his wand into his pants and folded his robes over his arm as he headed downstairs where he spent the remaining time until the bottom of the hour quietly eating toast while he waited for his escort and wondering why he needed the escort so badly when he'd been to Diagon Alley and Gringotts four separate times on his own in the past three years but he hadn't fought it much, frankly he liked Tonks and Mad Eye even as paranoid as he was was at least pleasant even if he kept expecting Harry, or anyone else for that matter, to suddenly attack him given how Mad Eye's magical eye always seemed to fix on Harry whenever the two were near each other. But then Mad Eye had spent the better part of the year locked in his own trunk so Harry figured the man wasn't completely starkers over his behavior.

At six thirty on the nose there was a knock on the front door of 4 Privet Drive and Harry walked over, his wand slipping from his pants to be held behind him as he opened the door and looked out to see Mad Eye and Tonks standing there dressed in Muggle clothes. Well Tonks was dressed in Muggle Clothes though the tee shirt did have the writing Wierd Sisters World Tour on it. Mad Eye on the other hand was wearing a robe that luckily looked like a trench coat somehow, no doubt the paranoid old man was carrying ever conceivable poison antidote in the pockets that littered the front and sides. "Wotcher Harry." Tonks said even as Harry glanced from her to Mad Eye.

Mad Eye's magical eye first looked at Harry's face and scar and then zipped down and Mad Eye smirked. "Smart Potter. At least you aren't keeping your wand in your pocket where it can blast your butt cheek off anymore. Harry couldn't resist smiling slightly even in his wearied mental state given that the Moody imposter Barty Crouch Jr. had said much the same, clearly the Death Eater had studied Mad Eye extensively before assuming his role. He glanced to the side and gave the pink haired witch in the teeshirt a nod. "Hey Tonks." Even as Mad Eye walked inside the house his magical eye swiveling around taking in everything before swiveling back on Harry. "Alright Potter. What creature is currently living in the upstairs of 12 Grimmauld Place."

Harry expecting the paranoid retired Auror's question to make sure that Harry was indeed Harry spoke instantly given that he knew the answer. "A Hippogriff named Buckbeak." Mad Eye nodded before pulling a rusted tin can from one pocket and a pocket watch from his other. "We've got one minute before this activates but best get your hand on it now." He said as he glanced at the face of the pocket watch before slipping it back into his robes. Harry did as he was told even as he heard movement coming from the kitchen. The seconds were ticking down as he turned to look back, still keeping his hand on the rusty can to see his Aunt Petunia glaring at the three of them from the kitchen. She'd known Harry would be leaving early but the sight of other magic users was without a doubt earning her glare of contempt. No one had time to say anything though when Harry felt the familiar feeling of a yank behind his navel as the portkey activated.

A moment later he was bent over resisting the urge to puke while Tonks rubbed his back. He was pretty sure it was Tonks anyways given that Moody didn't seem to have a sentimental or sympathetic bone in his body. Taking a few extra seconds he stood up while Tonks stood next to him, given that they were now standing in the public portkey and apparate square for Diagon Alley her hair was now purple as her metamorphagus talents displayed freely in the magical community now that she didn't need to worry about muggles and the Statue of Secrecy. "Alright there Harry?" Harry took a moment to nod. "I never do well with anything except a broom. Nothing ever seems to help either." Tonks gave a sympathetic shrug and rubbed his back a moment more while Mad Eye watched from the side.

Given that it wasn't yet even seven in the morning the Alley was mostly empty. A few store clerks were visible sweeping cleaning up for the day ahead. One using a broom to sweep, the others all using their wands. There was the smell of breakfast coming from the direction that the Leaky Cauldron was located but they were headed in the other direction. Mad Eye took lead with Tonks walking beside Harry as they made their way to Gringotts. As they walked Tonks quietly spoke to Harry as she walked beside him. "Alright so I know Sirius just died and you're still grieving but you should know how this is going to work, a lot of this wizarding stuff is likely going to catch you off guard. Anyways while the will is being read at Grigotts that's just because its a neutral ground, the goblins keep the peace between everyone. Lots of families do it that way to keep hexes and curses from being thrown by keeping it on neutral ground and not letting anyone go until everything is over. Lets tempers cool down a bit that way. Anyways so you and me are going in since we're both mentioned in the will. Make sure if you need to use the loo you do it before. Like I said no one leaves until the end and the goblins will slow things down if they think wands will come out as soon as it ends so best go before if you have the need."

"Anyways like I said so we all go in there. Mad Eye stays outside since he isn't mentioned in the will apparently. Anyways the solicitor handles the reading. Uncle Sirius used my Dad's firm to write the will but hired a different firm for the reading since because of me and mum there's a connection to him. So Mr. Hatterman of Hatterman and Greengrass will be the one reading the will." Harry blinked for a minute recognizing one of those names. "Greengrass, any chance he's related to Daphne Greengrass? She's in Slytherin House same year as me." Tonks raised a brow and Harry smiled for the first time since she'd seen him that morning. "What? She may be the Ice Queen of Slytherin but the girl is a knockout." Tonks just snorted in amusement. "Leave it to you boys to be fixated on a girl's arse. Anyways he's her father. He's also a neutral political in the wizengamot which is why Sirius used him. Hatterman doesn't have a seat but Greengrass does and he's in the neutrals. Having a seat on the wizengamot as the lawyer keeps anyone else with a seat from trying to introduce some law in advance of the reading or in the aftermath since he can use his seat to work as a neutral third party and make sure the will is carried out as intended. Most of the solicitor firms have at least one partner with a seat for the same reason."

By that point there were at the entrance of the bank. Two goblins short in stature but armed with swords and spears and wearing gleaming golden army stood on either side of the doors watching them through the slits of their helmets as they watched the trio ascend the steps and walk in through the entrance. Inside the goblins were already at their tellers positions. One wizard and one witch each stood in front of different tellers but that wasn't what caught Harry's eye as soon as they were in. What did catch his eye was the first was the blond hair of his arch rival, Draco Malfoy. Harry grimaced his eyes narrowing as Draco saw him enter and sneered in silence and contempt. Behind him stood his mother, if Harry looked closely he could see the same bone structure on her that he could on Bellatrix Lestrange his godfather's murder. She eyed him with cold eyes her lips pressed tightly as she kept her hands folded in front of her. Both Mother and Daughter were dressed in expensive but subdued black robes that were undoubtedly tailored to them.

A dozen feet away from the first groupings of individuals was another clump of figures that included Professor Dumbledore himself, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger, his two best friends. Hermoine was clearly fidgeting while Ron was glaring quite openly at Draco. Next to them stood Professor Lupin who like always looked rather washed over in his threadbare robes. Finally next to him stood a man and woman, Harry had a start at how like Mrs. Malfoy the woman looked, she was rather strikingly close in her facial appearance to Belatrix Lestrange as well. The mystery of who she was solved when the woman smiled quite happily seeing the three of them walking over and she waved and Harry noticed Tonks next to him waving back.

Mad Eye moved to the side taking up a position of sentry in the lobby of the bank while Dumbledore watched on, the Headmaster was of course dressed in an eye catching robe, periwinkle blue that though it was quite bright wasn't nearly as bad as some of the others the man had been known to wear in the past. Hermoine waved to Harry and Ron gave him a nod. Draco of course just glared and continued to sneer while Tonks walked up and embraced the woman who Harry figured was probably her mother. He didn't get an answer though as a goblin and a wizard walked out of a doorway nearby. "Since everyone is now here for the will reading please use the bathroom if you have the need. Once we step inside for the reading none are permitted to leave under pain of death until the reading is over."

Harry looked to the others but he'd gone not even twenty minutes before and didn't find the need. Ron muttered something but Harry didn't hear it as the wizard turned on his heel seeing no one taking advantage of the offer for the bathroom and led the way through the Gringotts corridors away from the lobby. They were led to a room that already had four goblins in gleaming golden armor standing along the walls. There was a table with room for ten to sit at it. Mr. Hatterman the solicitor stood at one end pulling several very legal looking papers from his briefcase and laying them out in front of him.

Draco and his mother moved to sit nearest the lawyer on one side and Dumbledore sat next to Mrs. Malfoy and Professor Lupin next to him filling that side out. Mrs. Tonks, sat next to the lawyer along with Tonks herself both of whom eyed the Malfoys with a coldness that could freeze. Ron and Hermione sat next to each other next to them. Harry who had entered last looked to Mr. Tonks but saw that he was standing and figured it had something to do with him being a lawyer. Looking at the table he saw that there was only one open seat at the end opposite from Mr. Hatterman.

Reluctantly but with the glares of both Mrs. Malfoy and Draco he walked over and took a seat giving Lupin at his left a nod and Hermione at his right a smile. Lupin seeing what could only be described as uncertainty on his face leaned over. "It'll be alright Harry. If you want to talk after all this is done you and me can slip off to talk all you need to." Harry could only nod his appreciation as at the far end Mr. Hatterman cleared his throat loudly gathering everyone's attention.

"We will now begin the reading of the will of Warlock Black." Harry frowned at the odd title for Sirius but Lupin gave Harry a clear I'll explain later glance and Harry nodded slightly while Mr. Hatterman continued picked up one of the documents he had previously laid out and began to read. "I Sirius Orion Black, Warlock of Black being of questionable mind and shit body after what those cloaked bloody bastards in Azkaban did to me do hereby leave the following to the people that matter to me. But first lets get the uncomfortable stuff out of the way. To my Cousin Narcissa and her arrogant little spawn Draco. You both get nothing. I won't blame you for your foul bastard of a husband who gets off on licking the boots of a dead dark lord but I know from Harry how Draco treated him. Cissy you should have raised him better."

Harry couldn't resist the urge to grin, nor was he alone as Ron was smirking at this and even Hermione was smiling slightly though she was clearly affronted at how Sirius had written his will so brazenly. In addition Lupin was hiding a slight smile and Tonks was smirking as well. Mrs. Tonks was a cool mask that betrayed nothing while Mrs. Malfoy was much the same although she wasn't hiding how much she glared at the will in question with the intensity that lesser documents would have already burst into flames from. Draco on the other hand was glaring at Harry as if it was Harry's fault that he'd been a ponce when they'd first met and how things had only gone downhill from there.

"As for Draco Malfoy have fun just sitting there since the goblins won't let you leave. Next time don't pick your idiot father for a role model. As for the rest of you. To Andromeda and little Nymphy. Hah can't do anything to me now that I'm dead girl." Tonks was now matching Mrs. Malfoy with a glare at the parchment and her hair had shifted to fire red and Harry could see her muttering something under her breath though he couldn't hear what it was though it did cause Ron to snort in amusement and Hermione to get a scandalized look that she fixed Tonks with. "You both got kicked off the family tree and since I didn't become the Warlock of Black until I was in Azkaban I haven't had a legal chance to change that. I hearby name you both back into the family. In addition Andromeda I leave you a thousand galleons as a belated wedding gift since the family never did anything. The same goes for you Nymphadora Tonks so that you can give whatever chap you fancy a decent life with a little help from your favorite roguishly handsome cousin."

Mrs. Tonks now had a look of surprise and a small smile on her face while Tonks seem torn between glare and grin after she had learned what Sirius had left her. "Remus Lupin I leave a home in the Forbidden Forest." At this everyone around the table on both sides had looks of surprise. "It's unplottable and got more than a few wards that will prevent anyone from ever finding it if you don't want them to. It isn't much but with your furry little problem I figure you should at least have a place where you can live off the land. You can hunt in the forest and it has a garden for food as well as being close enough to Hogsmead and Hogwarts that you can get a job there if you want and get lucky. Plus since its older than Hogwarts itself its been grandfathered in with several laws and the Ministry will never be able to take it from you regardless of what asinine werewolf restriction laws they come up with. Finally I leave you a burden to look after Harry for me and teach him the noble art of pranking if I haven't gotten around to it yet. If I'm dead he may need a few laughs so I'm looking to you to be there for him Moony."

By this point Lupin had raised a hand to wipe away the tears his friend's words had caused to him. Dumbledore gently patted Lupin on the shoulder in understanding. At the other end of the table Mr. Hatterman waited a moment before continuing. "To Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger I leave each of you two hundred and fifty galleons. Its not a lot but the Blacks aren't the richest of families these days. Still I wanted to leave you both something for being Harry's friends. You've done a lot for him and that deserves reward regardless of how little I have to give. To Albus Dumbledore I leave nothing. You already have everything it seems so I will simply give you the answer to an old problem you never figured out. The singing pudding New Years Eve my seventh year was me. I had flooed back from the Potters just for that prank before dashing out before I could be discovered."

Dumbledore seemed to smirk as if a long forgotten riddle was finally solved while everyone's gaze shifted back to Mr. Hatterman resumed reading. Harry knew it was his turn since everyone else seated had been addressed already. "To my godson Harry Potter I leave everything else I have. Harry hopefully we've had years together and I've just been a lazy bum in not updating this but in case that isn't the case I just want you to know how proud I am of you. You are everything James was at his best and Lily too. You have his looks, and her eyes, but you also have their hearts, their courage, bravery, honesty, and loyalty and I for one could not be prouder. That's why I'm naming you my heir as Warlock of Black. I doubt I've told you about this but the Blacks have always had a seat on the Wizengamot its yours. Of course there's probably a few people confused by how its yours sitting around this table. As your godfather I'm declaring you emancipated and an adult. The Black family is the oldest line of wizards and witches in all of England. We are not the richest of bloodlines, and as much as I may hate my parents I too am a Black. I can't run from that now at the end. Particularly since if I don't name an heir it'd go a certain poncy Malfoy due to the damnable male line rules. Which both Andy and Cissy should agree with me about it being funny given the Blacks started out as an all female coven in its earliest days."

"So I leave you the legacy. Do me proud and make it more than just about more than just a bunch of inbred idiots following whatever dark lord is currently around and bring pride back to our family. Whether you know it or not Black blood runs through your veins thanks to your grandmother Dorea Potter nee Black. Which is good because otherwise my wishes be damned I couldn't name you Warlock. So Harry do me proud. I'm leaving you everything and I'll be waiting for you on the other side, don't be too quick to join me."

At this Mr. Hatterman looked up from the will and set down the will and pulled out his wand and tapped the will with the wand's tip. Immediately a number of items appeared on the table. In front of Lupin a scroll sealed with wax appeared while a Gringotts vault key appeared in front of Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Tonks, and her daughter while in front of Harry a vault key as well as a stone box appeared. "We will now witness Mr. Potter don the ring and become Warlock Black after which everyone is free to leave."

Everyone's eyes were on him and Mrs. Malfoy and Draco were both glaring daggers at him while Lupin and Professor Dumbledore both gave him smiles of encouragement. Lupin leaned in and whispered. "Go ahead and open it. There'll be a ring inside, just put it on and let the magic accept you. Sirius would have done his homework making sure you could wear it first so there should be no danger, he wouldn't want to harm you by accident in any of his gifts after all.

Harry gave a nod of agreement as while Sirius might be the type to do something as a prank he wouldn't want Harry to come to harm. Opening the black box he looked inside at where an ancient ornate silver ring with a black onyx gem inlaid in it sat. He picked it up gingerly with his left hand and could swear that he felt the ring humming with magic. Turning it so he could slide his finger into it he slid it onto the ring finger of his right hand while everyone watched. He waited a moment wondering just what would happen before he felt a surge of magic race through his body.

His breath caught from the power of it but then it was over. He glanced at the others and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly without warning his body was wrought with overwhelming pain as it felt like every vein in his body was filled with molten lead with the Cruciatus curse for good measure. All he could do was scream from the overwhelming all encompassing pain for a few agonizing seconds that each felt like an hour before blackness took him.


	2. Chapter 2: Gryphon, Serpent, and Grim

**It should be mentioned that I do not own Harry Potter. I can only thank Rowling for this sandbox that so many individuals, myself included, get to dream in. I write only because I have read so many fanfics that I've begun having my own ideas that refuse to get out of my head.**

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The entire table was caught by surprise when suddenly without warning Harry began screaming. Everyone was frozen where they were unsure and uncertain of what they could possibly do in a situation that they had no understanding of. Even Mr. Hatterman was visibly confused in his shock at why Harry was screaming. However some level of understanding began to come as Harry went silent his head slumping forward, his chin hitting his chest before a moment later dark magical energy that bore a strong resemblance to clouds of silk erupted around him hiding him from the view of all.

Simultaneously the breaths of both Mrs. Tonks and Mrs. Malfoy halted their eyes widening in unison as they watched the slowly shifting cloud of dark magical energy. Dumbledore slowly rose from his chair looking from Harry at one end of the table to Mrs. Tonks and Mrs. Malfoy at the other. "Andromeda. You seem to have an understanding to what is happening to Mr. Potter. Would you please explain?"

Mrs. Tonks nodded slightly while across from her Mrs. Malfoy swallowed in silence, by this point Tonks and Draco were beginning to look pained in their expression but both remained silence as Mrs. Tonks took a moment to select her words. "It is the Black family magics. I do not know what is entirely going on but the family magic is drawing in the power of every member of the Black family no matter how distant. By now Mr. Weasley and you as well Headmaster should be feeling its effects."

Around the table the eyes of all widened turning to look at the still shrouded Harry. Hermione was the only one present who did not have a look of understanding. "I'm sorry Mrs. Tonks, what do you mean when you say that the family magic is drawing in magic. You can't possibly mean that your magic is actually going to Harry right now."

It wasn't Mrs. Tonks or her daughter who answered the muggleborn witch but rather Mrs. Malfoy. "That is precisely what she means you silly girl. This is ancient magic dating back thousands of years. The Family of Black is the oldest continuing line of magic users in all of Europe. It began as a coven that channeled the magic of thirteen witches into one, that magic has remained intact to this very day through all the generations. Warlock Black now has the power to tap into that part of the Black family magics that every living witch and wizard who contains the blood of Black in their veins. It seems that rather than Warlord Black calling the magics the magic itself is summoning itself to Warlord Black." She eyed the still slowly swirling magics at the end of the table.

"We are stuck here until whatever is happening is over. The goblins and their magic will not let us leave until Warlock Black is confirmed as head. I can only hope that whatever magic is being used will be over soon."

Beside her Draco was looking surly as he glared at everyone other than his mother in the room. Tonks and Ron matched him glare for glare. Mrs. Tonks however had the cold expressionless face that was a match for Mrs. Malfoy that he seemed to give up against, perhaps because he knew that expressionless mask was the equal to his mothers considering the two older women were sisters cut from the same cloth regardless of their husbands. Hermione simply looked back at Malfoy without reacting back an almost bored expression on her face. If Harry hadn't presently been surrounded by a cloud of magic she probably would have been bored but while she kept shooting worried glances at Harry's end of the table that did not mean she reacted to Draco's glares. He glared so frequently back at school that it had lost most of its bite on her. As for Dumbledore he simply sat there patiently avoiding the gazes of all the others his eyes still twinkling but his gaze fixed on where Harry sat. Mr. Tonks and Mr. Hammerman decided that prudence the better part of valor and took seat in a pair of chairs along the side of the room and like all the others settled in to wait.

Minutes passed without sound, nothing came from Harry in sound or motion as the could of magic continued to slowly swirl around him and the others sat there at the tables under fear of the goblins to try anything else. Even Draco seemed to realize how truly a dangerous place they were in given how effectively he was holding his tongue despite his very clear desire to speak. It was around the ten minute mark of sitting at the table that the first change was noticed. The slowly rotating and shifting cloud of magic began to grow agitated. Given how no less than half the eyes in the room had remained fixed on where Harry sat it was quickly noticed and Hermoine and Dumbledore alike sat up more slightly. Mrs. Tonks and Mrs. Malfoy had been sitting with perfect rigid posture the entire time although their heads too turned to watch.

Out of the clouds of dark magic swirling around Harry an ethereal snake composed of emerald and silver magical energies the same as the cloud emerged briefly in a loop only to dive back into the cloud. This caused everyone to take notice given how brilliantly the snake had shown with magical energy, a very potent and noticeable magical energy. For another ten seconds nothing disturbed the turbulent surface of the magic surrounding Harry before the snake briefly crested the surface once more, larger now, where before snake had merely seemed of normal size for an adolescent python now it was bigger, much bigger as its body was thicker now than and its head had been large enough to swallow the head of any of those present whole. The snake disappeared back beneath the surface of the rough magic still swirling more turbulently around Harry.

It was then that those sitting at the table heard a truly unnerving sound, not from within the storm of magic that continued to surround Harry but from around them as the goblins in their gleaming armor that had been stationed in the room drew their weapons. Metal scrapped against metal and Dumbledore lost the twinkle in his eyes at the sound and seemed to go a little pale. The goblins were not attacking anyone however, their gazes were fixed on the maelstrom of magic that swirled faster and faster around Harry. It was growing too and those sitting closest to Harry pushed back in their chairs to get away from it. The goblins did not fault them or warn them off as the gazes of all were fixed on the slowly expanding storm.

Then all at once chaos was unleashed as from the top of the ever growing cloud of turbulent magic that had beginning to flash with light came a truly massive serpent. It was easily over ten meters long and over a meter and a half thick at the widest point of its body. It flew out of the storm of dark wisps of magic as if chased by the hounds of hell. Its body gleamed with emerald scales, silver ones scattered amidst and its crimson eyes caused all but Dumbledore to pull back from its gaze. It did not turn its attention to them however as it landed on the far side of the room having flown over the table and all those sitting at it. Its gaze remained fixed and they could hear a soft hiss sound from it. Its very nature seemed to radiate an aura of fear for though it was composed completely of magic it seemed so real to the eye.

Those sitting at the table were not given long to study it though as a chilling howl that sent a shiver down the spine of everyone even Dumbledore included erupted from the still roiling storm of magic that surrounded Harry. A moment later a truly massive beast stepped out of the shadows of magic given form. With a massive body larger than any dog short of myth an enormous jet black grim emerged from the cloud walking one foot at a time around the table. The snake seemed fixated on the enormous grim and hissed at it, the grim of course growled back but no more than had the grim finished emerging but a truly magnificent sight emerged from the storm of magic at the end of the table once more. A shimmering and dazzling gryphon with crimson plumage and golden eyes stepped out of the storm of magic and walked around the other side of the table so that it and the Grim on the opposite side moved together on the snake.

Dumbledore was openly in shock and mumbled a quiet "Avatars? How...?" But found no answer coming from the magical beasts composed of pure magical energy. As the Grim passed Mrs. Malfoy she seemed almost as if she was in the throes of an orgasm as it drew near and in doing so lost for the first time her flawless mask that hid her emotions. The aura of the massive Grim as it moved past her was apparent and even Tonks and Mrs. Tonks on the other side of the table stared to the point that Mrs. Tonks's own perfect concealing mask that had hid her thoughts and emotions cracked as she realized what she was witnessing. "The Black Family Magic... And the Potter family magic..."

Before any answers were come the two magical entities representing the house magics of both Black and Potter leapt at the enormous emerald and silver snake. A battle was waged there on the far side of the room that none dared interfere in, no one after all missed when the gryphon's claws missed the snake and left gouges in the form of claw marks in the stone floor. The air thickened with magical energy so great it was like the humidity of the rain forests. To all the magic users in the room it felt to them that they were exposed to static electricity and if they did anything other than sit perfectly still and continue to breath the magic would zap them.

So the eyes of all watched unmoving except for the occasional blink as gryphon and Grim alike attacked the serpent. Even two on one the serpent did not go quietly. It was easily the largest creature and it used its size to its advantage but it was also stunningly quick as it maneuvered its body away from the danger of the gryphon's claws and the Grim's teeth. Still after the first twenty seconds it became clear that there would be a winner as whenever the Grim or gryphon would land a strike it its emerald scales would be ripped away by claw and by fang.

It was not over quickly and much of the far side of the room was left in ruin as the magical entities fought, the serpent thrashed while the gryphon and Grim alike raged against it. If not for the actions of two of the four goblins to advance and use an unknown form of goblin magic to create a powerful magical barrier separating the table and all who sat at it from the warring entities the table would have been utterly destroyed and many of those sitting at it dead simply as collateral of the fight.

Still the seconds of the fight turned to minutes and though all could not take their eyes off the spectacle that was happening before their very eyes as they sat transfixed it had to draw to a close. It ended with the Grim rushing the serpent's head in its jaws and in that moment for the first time they heard a scream coming from behind them. All startled from the display that and consumed them turned their heads to look at the still roiling storm of magic as for a moment from within it Harry screamed. Unable to take anymore Hermione stood to her feet in a burst of energy. "Enough we have to stop this. Harry is hurting, whatever this is that is going on it is bringing him harm!" Sitting beside her Mrs. Tonks simply grabbed her wrist with an iron grip and pulled her down back into her seat.

The outcast member of the Black family fixed the girl with a stern imperious look that cowed Hermione's concern for Harry's well being back into her. "We shall do nothing. This is a matter of family magics and it will run its course. Family magics go back thousands of years and if you attempt to stand against it you shall fare no better than attempting to turn back a hurricane. There is nothing you or even any of us can do but sit and wait." She turned her head slightly to look at where Harry was still sitting hidden by the magic then turned her head back to the avatars of family magic. "No matter how much we might desire..." She murmured so quietly under her breath that not even Hermione sitting next to her heard her although across the table Mrs. Malfoy arched an eyebrow as she watched her sister sitting across from her.

By now with the distraction of Hermione over and Harry silent once more they all turned back to look at the display of the raw primal power of family magics once more to see the grphon sitting proudly one one side while the Grim claimed its prize by devouring the snake. The grphon seemed content to watch though its golden gaze was on the Grim and it spared none of them so much as a glance. The grim continued to devour the snake bite by bite by bite by bite. Its jaws rended the defeated serpent still formed of ethereal magic given form as it lay on the floor as the Grim consumed it bite by bite. No one noticed it given that all eyes were on the Grim as it consumed its meal but Dumbledore's eyes had widened in shock and surprise and his mouth hung open as if he was about to say something yet nothing could come to him as he was unable to look away from the sight.

Minutes passed as the Grim ate up the entirety of the snake, it seemed impossible given how much larger the serpent had seemed and it was true that the Grim seemed to grow slightly by the time it had consumed its meal but it continued to eat and devour its prey. When it was finally done the Grim let loose a howl of victory that sent a fresh chill down the spines of everyone in the room. It seemed as if it was over and everyone was about to breath a sigh of relief that it had finished when the gryphon stood and raked its claws across the floor drawing sparks as it gouged the stone.

The Grim likewise stood once more and briefly growled at the gryphon. Then the two magical avatars launched themselves at one another to the shock of all. Minutes before these things that were entities of house magics of both the houses Potter and Black had fought together against the serpent and emerged victorious, and yet now they fought one another, everyone that sat at that table even prideful Draco grew pale at what was passing through their minds as the two house magics fought one another anew now on opposite sides.

The grphon though it seemed larger quickly became the apparent weaker challenger as the slightly smaller though still huge Grim managed to avoid its claws only to respond with bites from its powerful jaws and its own less impressive but still deadly claws. For half a minute the two beasts fought before finally it came to a halt when the Grim managed to get its jaws around the gryphon's neck and both beasts froze. Everyone's breath froze as well, they had seen the Grim minutes before crush the serpent's head in its jaws, were they about to see a similar fate befall the avatar of the house potter magics?

It seemed not as after agonizingly long seconds the Grim released its grip on the gryphon's neck and took a step back. Sitting with regal bearing the Grim watched as the gryphon bowed before it. Both creatures gleamed with blood formed from red ethereal magic that clung to their bodies from where they had brought harm to each other and before that the serpent to them, but the battle was over now and the Grim gave a howl of victory that was taken up by a loud screech by the gryphon as well. Then the two entities bowed to one another as one, and walked back one on either side of the table and one after the other disappeared into the magical storm that had never stopped swirling around where Harry sat.

Immediately the roiling storm of black and grey magic calmed around him until second by second it shrank and faded until at last the chair and the young man that sat in it were revealed once more. But as he became visible for the first time in many long minutes a sharp gasp emerged from several around the table before a moment later in the silence that hung in the room for a few long seconds before Dumbledore's voice could be heard to say a quiet. "Oh dear..."


	3. Chapter 3: Secrets Revealed

**It should be mentioned that I do not own Harry Potter. I can only thank Rowling for this sandbox that so many individuals, myself included, get to dream in. I write only because I have read so many fanfics that I've begun having my own ideas that refuse to get out of my head.**

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The last of the swirling clouds of magic that had hidden Harry completely up until now finally vanished revealing the black haired young man once more still sitting in the chair his head hanging forward chin touching his chest silent and still. The first differences to be noticed was that his hair was not the messy but charismatic mess it had always been. His hair now hung around his head long and straight, long enough in fact that it it would hang down to his shoulders. It was still the same black as before but it hid most of Harry's face, only part of his forehead was visible given how his face was still down-turned and hidden by shadow, but one thing was ultimately very clear.

His scar had vanished.

Dumbledore, Hermoine, Mrs. Tonks, Mrs. Malfoy, and Tonks all drew in sharp breaths as they noticed almost instantly and there was a slight hitch in the breathing of the others as they noticed very quickly after. As everyone sat perfectly still staring at the patch of perfectly smooth scar free skin when Harry lifted his head. It was still clearly Harry that was sitting there as they looked at him, or at least it seemed that way at the first glance but the longer each of them noticed more and more things that had been changed. Dumbledore quietly murmured. "Oh dear..."

Though Harry's face was still his it was in a great many ways changed. The bone structure of his face was shifted giving him a facial profile more in line with Sirius, or as much as it made Ron frown, Draco. His face had taken on a characteristically aristocratic look that a great deal like those sitting at the far end of the table as bore a greater resemblance to the sisters of Black and Draco than he did his former Potter looks. His eyes opened and everyone inhaled a sharp breath as they noticed the greatest change. The formerly death curse green that had drawn his heritage from his mother Lily Potter was no longer that riveting color but instead blue.

Without that familiar emerald green it was like he was a different person, here and there there were still parts of his face that were still Harry Potter but taken as a whole particularly with those different eyes that were now blue it was like he was a different person. He raised a hand to his face feeling the differences and even his own breath caught in his throat as he could feel the face he had known all his life now gone. While Harry was dealing with the new realities of his new face others were dealing the change in their own ways, some better than others and some quicker than others. Mrs. Tonks looked suspiciously from Harry to Mrs. Malfoy. "Why does he look like Lucius did when he was younger?"

The eyes of Mrs. Malfoy flicked from Harry to her sister and back to Harry before she hesitantly replied. "I am not sure..." There was no denial and Lupin and Dumbledore both widened their eyes as they noticed the similarity. Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he studied Harry, the blond somehow still surprisingly silent, quite possibly because the hand that was feeling Harry's face had the ring of the Warlock of Black, head of house Black on his ring finger quite visibly. Ron frowned not noticing the similarity and baffled by the change while Hermione had a confused but determined expression as she studied Harry with intensity.

When no answer was coming and Harry was still his fingers still tracing the new lines of his own face with his fingers there was a sudden stiffening from Mrs. Malfoy who began whispering in under her breath her eyes wide as she couldn't look away from Harry. Mrs. Tonks and Tonks both watched Mrs. Malfoy with narrowed eyes but part way into the whispering Mrs. Tonks's eyes widened and her head twisted violently to the side locking onto Harry her own eyes as wide as Harry. Mrs. Malfoy whispered a final word that no one could make out under her breath before letting out a gasp of shock. Her shock and surprise still unexplained she slowly rose from her chair, her previous imperial and regal pose all but forgotten. On her heels Mrs. Tonks also slowly rose to her feet but her eyes weren't on Harry but instead on her sister across the table worry clearly in her eyes as she Mrs. Malfoy ignored the looks from her son, sister, and niece and slowly walked around the side of the table following the path the Grim had walked before in returning to Harry.

She stopped beside Harry who after a moment noticed her standing next to her and looked up at her standing at his side. His newly blue eyes were filled with visible confusion and a gasp escaped Mrs. Malfoy's throat and Harry's eyes widened seeing tears running down her face. The next thing he knew she threw herself at him as he sat and as she did everyone sitting around the table took to their feat at once. Draco in surprise, and all the rest in shock and fear that she was attacking Harry for becoming the Warlock of Black when she had previously wanted it for her son Draco. There was a loud shout above all the others as Mrs. Tonks shouted over them all. "All of you sit back down right now or as soon as we leave this room I will curse you all so badly you will need St. Mungos healers to survive." Dumbledore and Remus both sat down knowing well that any member of House Black, past or present regardless was stepped and ancient and powerful magics.

Ron and Hermione both remained on their feet until Tonks moved around behind her mother and leaned in between the two and quietly whispered to both which caused them to both slowly move back to their seat leaving only Draco standing. Mrs. Tonks pushed her chair back before stepping away from the table and sweeping past her daughter to stand on the opposite side from her sister next to Harry. As for Harry himself he was very still while Mrs. Malfoy had thrown herself on him. Her body shivering and her sobs slowly became audible to the ears of everyone in the room.

Hearing those sobs Dumbledore's eyes visibly hardened the twinkle truly and well lost now as he remained seated his gaze flicking between Harry and Mrs. Malfoy and Mrs. Tonks. Tonks herself meanwhile took up a position on her feet behind everyone where she could watch everyone's faces her gaze hardened. At the far end of this Malfoy was still standing watching them all his eyes narrowed particularly as his mother for reasons he did not know was crying while holding onto Potter.

"I demand to know what in the bloody hell is going on. I have been patient up until now but enough is enough I will have answers to this travesty. If Potter is the head so damn well House Black is all but devoid of gold, he'll just have to keep wearing those muggle rags, but someone will answer my questions. I am a Malfoy and I will not be denied. Now answer me. What the bloody hell is going on with Potter!"

He had been fuming for quite a while, Draco had started maturing since his more recent years and he was learning tact and subtlety but learning and embracing were two different things and Draco was still quite blunt even if at long last he had finally begun learning to hold his tongue. He had his limits though and the fact that Potter now was THE Warlock of Black, a title and position Draco had always believed and even his own mother, a Daughter of Black, had said would pass to him once his uncle was dead and he seventeen. Now though Harry bloody Potter had the title that should have been Draco's and not only that, he was younger than Draco was, Dumbledore's golden boy had been given the position two years earlier than Draco would have gotten it if it had passed to him. Potter, Weasley, even the mudblood Granger had all gotten something from Sirius Black's will, but Draco, who held a closer tie by blood to Sirius had gotten nothing and it had been stewing in his mind ever since.

The show before where the snake, grim, and grphon had fought had confused him but he had said nothing wondering in silence if Potter might just die then and there and the title of Warlock would pass to Draco as the next male Black descendant, the idea of Potter having a will was ridiculous and it wasn't like he could pass it to anyone since the Warlock needed a blood relation to the house of Black. Weasley of course as a pureblood did have a claim but the blood traitor's family had alienated much of the proper pureblood society generations before and there was no chance of the Weasleys getting a tie to House Black. Or at least there hadn't been. Draco held dark thoughts on the fact that now that Potter was the head of the family he could very well marry the Weasley girl if he so wished and there they would be, tied by marriage to the oldest family in Europe. The thought would have been enough to make Draco gag if he hadn't been furiously trying to get answers.

Of course while Draco may have learned a touch of restraint at long last that did not mean he had learned wisdom as there was a sound of metal sliding on metal from behind him and then he realized he had a goblin axe beneath his neck the unnaturally sharp edge not quite touching his flesh. He swallowed and winced as he felt the magical weapon's edge draw blood from that simple movement though it hadn't shifted at all. His hands shaking in barely contained fury, outrage, and humiliation he slowly sat back down while the eyes of the table were on him. Even his own mother who for some bloody reason was crying over Potter was watching him with a stern gaze from teary eyes. Some obscure part of his mind noticed that she had very noticeably been crying given how the tears had been sufficient to begin running her makeup, a makeup he knew was magically resistant to being washed away by tears or sweat.

His gaze shifted to his blood traitor aunt and cousin who stood beside Potter. His aunt glanced to the goblin still beside Draco, to Draco himself, to his mother and Harry and then back to Draco. "What is happening is cause for celebration." The words were confusing since his aunt didn't seem happy, in fact her carefully composed face seemed to be containing a burning rage ready to be unleashed.

Across the table Ron and Hermione shared a confused glance trying to figure out what had been happening. Hermione had already worked out that the Black family magics had an effect on his appearance, going so far as to make him bear the physical features of a Black. His hair was still the same color and Hermione figured that at some point in the past a Black had married into the Potter family and the hair color had endured ever since since it was the same color even if it had lost the signature Potter mess.

In fact Hermione had to admit that Harry looked kinda hot, granted he had appeared handsome and attractive before but even up to his forth year he'd always been a little short and a little scrawny, his glasses had been part of him but he had looked better without them even if he was prone to walk into things in the rare instances when he took off his glasses other than to sleep. Now he had a regal aristocratic look that as much as Hermione hated to admit it made him look a fair bit like Draco. Handsome or not Draco was just such an arrogant arse to everyone around him that his physical attractiveness was never sufficient to overcome his character flaws.

But where Draco was consistently repulsive to the bookish Gryffindor, Harry was another matter. Hermione was silent with thought studying the changes to her friend hoping that the changes had been physical only. Magic was such a awesome and powerful thing, she had seen that with her own eyes more than she had read it in books, the time in the Department of Mysteries had shown that there was far more than just the knowledge contained in books. Not even the library in Hogwarts, or the parts of the Black library in 12 Grimmauld, had contained all that there was to magic. Still she wondered about family magics now, she would have to ask Ron and maybe Tonks when she got a chance and check what books might have mention of it. It was an entirely new field of magic to her and she was determined to learn of it.

As for Ron he watched his best friend with a suspicious gaze. Ron was admittedly a jealous individual. Being Harry's best friend had brought as much annoyance at times as it had brought him fun and benefit. Still for all his shallowness he had willingly followed Harry to the Department of Mysteries. And he knew that even though it was a trap and they had suffered for it, Ron himself still bore bandages and marks from the brains in the one room when their tentacles had briefly touched him, he would do it again. No the suspicion was not for Harry but for why Malfoy's mother was crying and hugging Harry, Harry clearly had no idea but Ron thought he saw a look in the eyes of Mrs. Tonks and even Dumbledore that showed that they both knew what was going on. Ron looked from Dumbledore, to Mrs. Tonks, to Draco's mum trying to figure out what secret they knew that he didn't.

As for Dumbledore he had a hard look on his face as if he had swallowed a vomit flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Bean. That said though there was a look of resignation hiding in the depths of his eyes as he watched Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy, and of course Harry. He could tell Lupin sitting beside him was as confused as any of the others but Dumbledore didn't bother explaining himself to the former Marauder, not when he suspected he'd been revealing some very old secrets very shortly. The old man weighed his options. Truths that had been long hidden were about to come out, it was simply a question of how much would he reveal at this time in front of admittedly questionable individuals. Any secrets revealed before young Mr. Malfoy would undoubtedly be relayed to Voldemort. Narcissa Malfoy might not be willing to immediately reveal the truth to Voldemort but he doubted she would be able to stop him if he was determined to take the secrets from her mind by force. And ultimately the goblins had not yet declared the session over, they would attack if he tried to force them to leave prematurely. He could only hope that young Harry would be wise enough to save the questions until they were in private.

He glanced at Andromeda Tonks then at Narcissa Malfoy both of whom were fixing him with burning gazes of hatred as they suspected correctly that he had played a part in the hidden truths. Mrs. Malfoy took a long time to speak and it was only until Harry cleared his throat clearly uncomfortable by being hugged by his arch rival's mother that she finally let go and stood up though she did not leave Harry's side. "Dumbledore. Is Warlock Black my son?" Her voice was quiet, her words cold, but it was a cold capable of freezing everything around her as her fury chilled into a frozen rage as she composed herself. On Harry's other side Andromeda Tonks was mimicking her. Even the young Auror standing behind Harry who was looking at Dumbledore had a gaze of heat as she too was beginning to work out buried truths.

Eyes around the table from all sides including Harry himself blatantly displayed shocked confusion. Draco seemed insulted but his eyes were on his mother while Ron, Hermoine, and Lupin all seemed confused by the strange sounding question. Andromeda and Narcissa though were both firm in their stance and their glares were just as frosty as they waited for Dumbledore to speak. The headmaster glanced between the two sisters then with a sigh nodded. There was a gasp from around the table that practically drowned out his quietly spoken words. "He is your son by birth."

Harry simply stared at Dumbledore uncertain at everything. He had felt uncertain of so many things that morning and the last two weeks, but he'd had the rock certain knowledge that he was Harry Potter. What did it mean that Mrs. Malfoy was his mother by birth. That meant she had given birth to him, had his father cheated on his mother? His mouth opened and he tried to speak, to question, wanting answers but nothing came out as his brain crashed down on him as the stability that he knew was yanked out from under him by Dumbledore's softly spoken words. Before the Black sisters could demand further answers Dumbledore held up a hand to stop them in their tracks. "You want answers. And I will answer what I can. But not here, not with this many ears. If you want further questions to be answered then we need privacy. There are some things that should not be said aloud in a public setting."

Dumbledore visibly glanced down the end of the table towards where Draco was sitting and Harry and Andromeda both followed his gaze but Narcissa remained fixated on the old man her eyes promising a slow painful death if she was not given what she wanted. It was so strange for those that knew her in public to see her like this. Normally she was so detached yet now her emotions were so blatantly visible on her face that it was like she was a different woman. She continued to glare and practically spat at him as she replied her words loaded with venom and promising divine retribution. "You dare to barter for your secrets? You dare to hide the fact that my son is alive when I believed him dead for so many years. You will answer me now and damn your secrets you old witless fool or I will wage a blood feud against you old man."

As Narcissa spoke with such caustic venom in her words beside her Andromeda silently watched her sister, it was when Narcissa mentioned the blood feud though that she reached out to lay a hand on her sister's arm. Narcissa's head sharply turned to the side looking at Andromeda who silently shook her head and Narcissa glared at her sister for a moment before realizing her sister's unspoken message. Her eyes widened for a moment and she looked down at Harry who still sat in his chair uncertain of what to do amidst all the chaos that was being unleashed by long buried truths being revealed. With a silent nod to show she understood the unspoken message she composed herself once more and the raw emotion that had been so visible upon her face was hidden as her face became a mask hiding her emotions and thoughts as she stood comporting herself with bearing worthy of the House of Black once more. "You had best answer old man, my patience has run out."

Dumbledore sighed and looked to the one person who had the power here. So long as he was in this room and the will reading was still ongoing the Black sisters held the power of being able to force him to answer. But there was one person who could end this and allow this conversation to take place in a safer place at a later date where he had time to prepare and limit the damage. He looked to Harry. "Ha-Warlock Black, sorry my apologies. The secrets your birth mother is asking for involve the reason you were in the Department of Mysteries two weeks ago. I know you understand the reason for discretion. Please, let this wait until later in a more private setting. You can end this. Simply declare the will reading over in your position as the new Warlock of Black and head of House Black. The goblins will permit us to leave and we can discuss this later when Voldemort will not learn what he shouldn't."

Of course there was the customary flinch from everyone around the table except for Harry at Voldemort's name. Harry opened his mouth for a moment before closing it in thought and studied the headmaster trying to weigh everything. As he did so Narcissa glanced at her sister in panic and Andromeda's eyes narrowed. She glanced down at Harry as he was still silent in thought and Dumbledore was fixed in his gaze hoping his gambit for escape would be successful. Andromeda leaned to the side and whispered into her daughter's ear for a few long moments. Meanwhile Harry nodded to himself for a moment and hope shown for a moment in Dumbledore's eyes. "Professor..." He stopped though feeling a touch on his shoulder and looked up and to the side as Tonks moved to his side taking her mother's spot beside him while Andromeda moved to stand behind Harry her hands resting lightly on the back of Harry's chair and her imperial gaze fixed silently on Dumbledore.

Tonks squatted down to lower herself down to Harry's level so she could speak with him without looming over him. "Harry. Do you trust me?" Harry glanced for a moment from Tonks to Dumbledore before looking back and after a moment he silently nodded. Tonks had been one of those in the who had responded to the break in in the DoM and had fought alongside Sirius. The fact she was Sirius's cousin helped in some small way too. "Okay Harry. I'll be honest I'm not too sure what's going on here. Frankly I'll admit this all is confusing the hell out of me but I trust my mother in this. She thinks my aunt is right and Dumbledore needs to answer some questions now."

Dumbledore was fixing Tonks with a concealed gaze of fury that a member of his own order was acting to reveal secrets to the enemy that should not be revealed but he restrained his anger and hid it well simply gazing at her and watching Harry who was silent in thoughts. Harry thought over Tonks's words. Everything that was being said made no sense on the surface. Dumbledore clearly knew something and it sounded like his father had cheated on his wife with Mrs. Malfoy but somehow this was also involving the prophecy, that much at least Dumbledore had made clear. Harry glanced down at the end of the table where Draco sat like the others silently watching the exchange taking in everything. He didn't doubt that sooner or later, thanks to Draco, Voldemort would hear of what was being said here. So Dumbledore was making sense, but he also trusted Tonks. And more importantly to him Sirius had trusted her. He didn't trust Mrs. Malfoy but his godfather had trusted Tonks and her mother.

In that moment he was unsure of so many things that were going on that he took extra time to chose his words carefully not wanting to make a single mistake. "Professor Dumbledore I do think you are right that not everyone needs to hear." Hope shined in Dumbledore's eyes and Narcissa hissed in fury at his side. "Swear Dumbledore. Swear on your magic that you will reveal the same truths you would if we were here still." The youngest Black sister had sensed Dumbledore's arguments swaying Harry and so she was grasping at anything to ensure the truth would come out in the end. Dumbledore's eyes widened at the demand and Harry could feel Tonks's mother touching his shoulder in that moment to get his attention. "It is a condition worth demanding. I suggest that you make him swear the oath."

Dumbledore could feel the ground slipping beneath his feet as Harry took a long moment to think before nodding in agreement and looking at him. "Professor, I want you to swear the oath, and then I will do as you ask." Dumbledore could feel a flash of memory from fourteen years before tugging at him. It was almost amusing how much like James, Harry was turning out to be. After a long moment he nodded and pulled out the Elder Wand and raised it. "I swear that I will answer the questions you speak and answer honestly in private with Harry Potter, Narcissa Malfoy, and Andromeda Tonks and only those three individuals. So mote it be." There was a rush of magic as the oath was sworn and became active and Andromeda Tonks nodded in approval before touching Harry's shoulder. "Go ahead."

Harry looked from Tonks's mother to the others and then to Mr. Hatterman and Mr. Tonks standing along the wall shock quite visible on their faces. "Um I'm not sure what to say." He admitted to the group. Mr. Hatterman composed himself and spoke to Harry answering his confusion. "Simply tell the goblins that you are now the Warlock of Black and you declare this will reading ended."

Harry nodded and looked to the nearest goblin who was the one standing so close to Draco and had earlier been holding an axe to the blond's neck. "As the Warlock of Black I declare this will reading ended." And with that the goblins at long last opened the doors out of the room allowing them to escape a room torn with battle and filled with still unanswered questions.


	4. Chapter 4: Lies Revealed

**It should be mentioned that I do not own Harry Potter. I can only thank Rowling for this sandbox that so many individuals, myself included, get to dream in. I write only because I have read so many fanfics that I've begun having my own ideas that refuse to get out of my head. Please keep the reviews coming I love to hear what everyone thinks of my writings.**

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Albus Dumbledore walked through the halls of Gringotts following a goblin deep in thought. Behind him Harry Potter, Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks along with young Nymphadora Tonks followed. Draco Malfoy, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley had all been left in the lobby of Gringotts with Remus Lupin and Ted Tonks keeping an eye on the three leaving Dumbledore to talk with Harry and the Black sisters. Nymphadora was coming along as Harry's bodyguard but given her membership in House Black he didn't consider her a risk in regards to the secrets that were about to be revealed, not compared to the sheer magnitude of what he would soon be forced to speak of.

The goblin led the group to a new meeting room much like the one they had been in before albeit without signs of battle where avatars of familial magics had done battle. The goblin opened the door and let the five enter before closing it behind them. Dumbledore walked towards the table in the center of the room and selected a random chair and waited a moment for the others before seating himself. Harry, Andromeda, and Narcissa also seated themselves while Nymphadora took up a watchful stance along the wall.

Harry took a seat on the opposite side in the middle and Narcissa and Andromeda on either side of him the two sisters glaring at Dumbledore. Harry just sat there looking down at the table quietly as was silently consumed in internal thought. When Dumbledore sighed the young man did look up but he lacked the anger found in the eyes of the two women sitting beside him. Dumbledore could only hope that Harry would be understanding of what had happened and why. As for the sisters he had sworn the oath of honesty. He could only hope that they did not ask all the relevant questions though he considered it a fair chance of happening. There were so many truths that had been hidden that this would take time and he could only hope a few would be lost in the mix.

Preparing himself for the inevitable Dumbledore spoke. "Alright ladies. You wanted to know more information. Harry is your son Narcissa. What do you wish to know?" Narcissa's eyes narrowed. "What do I wish to know? I wish to know why. Why did you steal my son and convince me he was dead." Dumbledore nodded to himself this was the most likely of questions after all. "Because we were loosing the war and James Potter was more than willing to die for the cause but risking his son and heir was too much." The eyes of Narcissa and Andromeda both narrowed slightly as they digested that information while Harry's eyes widened. Dumbledore mentally cursed his oath of honesty as he watched the young man stare at him wide eyed. Harry swallowed and questioned confirming that just revealed fact. "My parents had another kid? But how am I their son. I mean up until now I looked just like them."

Once again Harry picked up on more than was comfortable as Dumbledore answered his eyes on Narcissa. "We were loosing the war against Voldemort. James and Sirius came up with the idea to force a direct confrontation between Voldemort and family magics. The prophecy designated battle between Voldemort and either the Potters and the Longbottoms. We prepared and I advised both families to go into hiding which they did, but neither Frank Longbottom or James were willing to risk their only sons on the plan and both were sent into hiding and replacements were found." He watched as the eyes of all three were wide with shock at the actions of two leading members of the light who had been Gryffindors acting with Slytherin cunning to preserve their families. So children of roughly the same age as their own were found. Each family preformed ancient blood magics to bring the children into their families so they would fully be protected by the family magics."

Harry was silent for a long moment. "So my father wasn't really my father?" Beside him Narcissa hesitantly laid a hand on his arm. "Lucius and I are your parents. James Potter was far too faithful to ever leave his muggle-born wife for any reason." You were born a month before James's son was born on May 29th. And your name was and still is Leo Castor Malfoy. You are a son of the House of Malfoy and Black." She smiled faintly and reached up to stroke his face with his hand until he jerked away at her touch. He felt bad at her crushed expression but said nothing. He was a Malfoy? Lucius was his dad? Draco was his brother? What in the bloody hell was he supposed to do now. Those two hated him, and granted the fact that he had defeated Lucius's infinitely damned master probably had plenty to do with it. And Malfoy had been his arch-rival since that first train ride to Hogwarts. All those years of hating each other wasn't about to change regardless of the fact that they were brothers.

Harry was consumed with thoughts and it was quite visible to everyone. Dumbledore was watching closely when Harry jerked his face away when Narcissa tried to stroke his face and felt a moment of relief as regardless of everything it seemed that not all the old hatreds were going to simply be forgotten. It was sad but necessary. Unfortunately his break from answering long hidden lies was about to be interrupted once more as a now angry Narcissa who was fighting back tears at the rejection of her touch by her son. "And what happened to the Potter's son. Did he actually die of dragonpox? Was that why you convinced me mine was dead? Did I cry over Potter's dead spawn." Dumbledore swallowed this was one he'd been hoping would be avoided. "No, he is alive."

A fresh round of shock was visible on everyone and Dumbledore sighed before answering the unspoken questions as to how. "When Harry was adopted." Narcissa's eyes were narrowed as Dumbledore continued to refer to him as James's son despite the revelation that he was hers. "And the ritual to make him a Potter in every way was conducted they gave Harry the name of his brother and changed the former Harry's name before sending him into hiding with his grandparents."

Andromeda frowned at this as she noted the flaw in Dumbledore's words. "Fleamont and Dorea Potter died in 79' of dragonpox." Seeing the shake of Dumbledore's head she goggled wide eyed at him and spoke her question in shock. "They're not dead?!" Dumbledore nodded. "They and their grandson spent the remainder of the war hidden away in Potter Manor before moving abroad. I only know that all three are alive. Do not ask what names they have assumed or where they are now. I do not know." Narcissa eyes were filled with more fury. "Is there anyone else who's death is not what it should be. Is Neville Longbottom a lie as well?" Dumbledore scowled. This was a question that was not necessary but he silently cursed his vow once more. "No Neville Longbottom is Frank and Alice's son. He was safely hidden away with his grandmother when his parents were tortured into insanity and the replacement that was adopted into the family was killed by the Lestranges and Barty Crouch Jr."

Harry had been furiously processing every revealed secret that continued to rock the very foundation of his world. He wasn't born to his father and mother but had instead been kidnapped and forcibly adopted? They had used blood magic to adopt him and make him look like their actual son who they had sent into hiding with his... he actually wasn't sure what to call James Potter anymore. Father certainly didn't seem correct but he wasn't about to call Lucius Malfoy his father either. In addition both James and Lily's real son along with Neville had been sent into hiding. It certainly explained how Neville had survived when his parents had been tortured into insanity through prolonged exposure to the cruciatus curse. Harry had always privately wondered how Neville had survived when his parents had not.

Harry sat there digesting every revealed fact that sent his world tumbling afresh. First he had thought James had cheated on his wife with Narcissa Malfoy. Then it was revealed that James hadn't cheated but instead stolen another family's child so that he could disguise it as his own in preparation for the slaughter. He frowned. Dumbledore had mentioned James's involvement but not that of his wife. "Did Lily Potter know?" He asked wanting more answers to these endless questions. Had the woman he had always thought of as his mother been so cold as to sacrifice another child to save her own? He felt a sense of relief sweep through him as Dumbledore shook his head. "No Harry. Lily was involved in planning the trap and preparing the ritual used that defeated Voldemort, but she always believed you were her own."

Harry numbly nodded vaguely relieved that that one small fact of his life had remained unchanged. Ever since the beginning of his third year at Hogwarts his nightmares had been haunted by Lily begging with Voldemort to spare him and kill her instead. Wait... she had begged. Dumbledore had said that she had planned the ritual. Why would she beg? "Dumbledore? Why did my mother beg Voldemort to spare me and kill her instead. You said she was part of the planning of a ritual to use against Voldemort."

Harry watched as Dumbledore nodded. "We were loosing the war. With the prophecy we created a trap. Voldemort's targets were two boys who were each from lineages with powerful magic. Each family's magic was different but they prepared to lure Voldemort into the trap. Each family using themselves as bait in the hopes that he would be defeated. The cost was high, but in the end their sacrifice was rewarded. Voldemort was defeated and in time after the capture of the Lestranges the Death Eaters were routed. At great cost, we had peace."

Harry felt some small strange pride that James and Lily had knowingly laid down their lives at a chance to defeat Voldemort. It was strange but on some level he felt relieved to know that Lily and James had still been willing to lay down their lives to have a chance at defeating Voldemort. He looked back at Dumbledore. "So what now? I'm not a Potter anymore am I?"

Harry was surprised when Dumbledore shook his head with a smile. "Actually you are. That display we witnessed before made clear of that. The Potter magic fought alongside the Black family magic. And while the Black magics proved their dominance the Potter magic remained loyal. As for your status with the Potter family you remain a member of House Potter per your parents wishes. Your trust vault here in Gringotts per their wishes has enough gold that you can live comfortably without working a day for the rest of your life should you so wish it. You will not be the head of House Potter but you are still a member of their family. In time you will likely meet the young man who's name you were given when and if he chooses to reappear, I suspect Fleamont and particularly Dorea will want to meet you now that you are the head of the house of Black. Dorea herself is a daughter of Black and a wise woman in many ways, when you do finally meet her I suggest you listen to what she has to say. As a daughter of Black still she can offer you excellent council should you wish it. As will I if you choose it. You know the terrible lies we wove to end the war. They are laid bare. But Voldemort is still out there and he is now back. Lily and James bought us years of peace but the war wages once more and until he is dead for sure their sacrifice will not have full meaning."

Harry nodded trying to come up with any more questions he could think of. "I guess there's only one other thing I need to know then. Did Sirius know?" Harry's heart was shattered when Dumbledore sadly nodded. "He did though he did not know who's child you had been before. He volunteered to be your godfather so that should you survive you would be more than just a sacrifice to be cast away if our hopes were fulfilled and Voldemort was defeated. He wanted you to have a father figure so that even when you learned the truth you would have someone in your corner." Harry felt a strange sort of heartbreak. Sirius had knowingly gone along with stealing another person's child but he had chosen to become his godfather so he would not be alone even if the worst should happen. It was a strange unhappy yet still happy comfort that settled over Harry.

Harry took a long moment to speak. "So just to cover everything you've said so far. The people I thought of as my parents aren't really my parents except through a magic ritual. My actual family by blood has repeatedly tried to kill me or otherwise make my life hell. My name isn't even mine but the person who it does belong to is now named someone else. Is that all correct?"

Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh but nodded in confirmation. It was hardly a surprise that Harry was off balance by all of this. The original plan had been to not introduce Harry to the true child of Lily and James until after Voldemort was gone for good. While there was a good chance Harry would not survive the confrontation Harry had proven a certain ability to survive seemingly impossible situations and Dumbledore had not completely written him off. In fact now with the fragment of Tom's soul that had been in Harry seemingly gone Dumbledore gave Harry significantly better odds though he did not guarantee the certainty. Tom after all was an extremely powerful wizard with a great many tricks up his sleeve beyond just his Horcruxes. He would need to work with Harry more directly. Clearly mild compulsions to encourage Harry to study defensive magic would not be sufficient anymore and Dumbledore would need to take a direct hand in Harry's training. Still Harry had proven a solid grasp of defensive magic and battle strategy given the events of the year previous with his secret club and the assault on the Department of Mysteries. Still he did not expect Harry to get a repeat. The Death Eaters had underestimated Harry and his friends once. Dumbledore sincerely doubted they would do so a second time.

"I guess that's everything I want to know then Professor." Dumbledore glanced from the speaking Harry to Narcissa and Andromeda beside him and while both ladies looked extremely angry they said nothing and Dumbledore concluded the meeting was finally over. Luckily Harry and his mother and aunt had failed to ask all the questions but in the end the remaining questions would only aid the enemy. When the war was finally over he would finally come clean to Harry but no sooner if he could help it. Straightening his eye catching baby blue robes Dumbledore rose up out of his chair. "Very well, Mr. Potter if you have any further questions feel free to send an owl and I will help however I can. I expect to see you either at Headquarters or the Wizengamot session next." He gave Andromeda and Narcissa a nod. "Ladies, have a pleasant morning." And with that Dumbledore swept out of the room to the safety beyond where they couldn't ask anymore damaging questions and reveal any more of the painful lies he held so close.

Inside the room Harry was left sitting in his chair while on either side of him Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks watched him trying to get an understanding of his thoughts, even the young Auror standing along the wall behind them was watching Harry intently. "I suppose I don't have to live with the Dursleys anymore." He finally muttered mostly to himself. Tonks smirked slightly. "Nope Harry. You're now an adult, you can live wherever you want. Sirius left you everything so we can go pack you up if you want, you never seemed particularly attached to that place so I don't see any reason not to just pop over and grab your stuff and move you into Grimmauld Place.

Harry nodded in absent thought while he stood up, he did look at Mrs. Malfoy and Mrs. Tonks when they stood up with him. "The meetings over and Dumbledore's gone. I guess I'll be going. See you two later." He looked at Mrs. Malfoy for a moment. "I'm sorry but this is a lot to take in. I know now that you gave birth to me but that doesn't mean I'm going to start thinking of you as my mother. Since Lily died at Voldemort's hand I don't even know how a mother is supposed to act. And while you've never said anything bad to me your son and husband have both tried to kill me and generally make my life hell on repeated occasions. So don't expect some fairy-tale reunion. I need time to think about all this."

Mrs. Malfoy looked saddened but not surprised. Harry had to give her credit, a part of him realized he was her long lost son who was now magically returned from the dead and yet wanted next to nothing to do with her. Most women probably would have raged or broken down in tears or cursed him or something, anything really yet Mrs. Malfoy seemed willing to wait. "I understand. And since you've lived all your life as Harry Potter if you want I will refer to you by that for your comfort. But I would like to see where you have lived. Up until now I had heard rumors but you are both my son and the head of the family. I have a vested interest in your well being." Mrs. Tonks also nodded. "We both do, particularly as we are back in the family as one."

Harry sighed in resignation but nodded. "Alright you can come but don't expect a palace. The Dursleys, Lily's family aren't the best of people. Please don't curse them no matter how much you might be tempted. I've had enough trouble with the Ministry over them already." Andromeda and Narcissa exchanged a glance but both nodded firmly to Harry. Then the four of them all left the room and headed out of Gringotts and made their way towards one of the public aparation points in Diagon Alley where they could apparate to Privett Drive.

Three minutes later all four of them were standing on the street in front of Privet Drive and Narcissa was looking around disapprovingly. "I can't believe you were left to live here." Beside her and standing behind Harry Andromeda shrugged. "I can. You can feel the magic surrounding the house. This entire place is a trap for Dark Wizards. As Harry's family we should be okay but this is powerful blood magic. Any Death Eater or any dark magic user in general that stepped foot would not likely survive. A cunning and devious trap indeed." She smirked her eyes shining approval as she examined the magics surrounding the house. Narcissa standing beside her sister took a moment to also examine the magic before giving a sniff. "It does seem adequate though it hardly is an excuse for living with muggles but what is done is done. No point in crying over spilled potion."

It was at that moment that the front door of Privett Drive opened and out walked Vernon Dursley who stepped out of the doorway onto the front porch step before freezing seeing the four of them standing on the sidewalk in front of the house. Vernon froze at first sight not recognizing his former nephew's new face. As Harry took a step forward Vernon's eyes narrowed. "What the bloody hell do you freaks want. The boy isn't here now go away. I'll not have you on my property." Harry sighed and spoke up. "Vernon I am Harry."

Vernon glared. "Boy?! What freakishness are you up to to make you look like that? And what the bloody hell are you doing with THEM?! I told you not to bring any of your kind here." Harry simply shrugged. "They're here because I'm leaving Vernon. This will be the last you see of me after today." Vernon Dursley bristled at the lack of concern Harry was giving to his outrage at having a bunch of magic using freaks in front of his house but when Harry mentioned he would be leaving he grinned brutishly. "Well its about damn time then. Go run off with your fellow freaks, you have no business here. Go live with your fellow freaks." All three of the women standing on the sidewalk bristled at Vernon Dursley's words while Harry long since used to them didn't pay them any mind and simply walked across the lawn up to the front door and walking past his former Uncle and inside.

On the sidewalk Tonks looked at her mother and aunt. "I'll go inside and help pack, you two had best stay outside. Harry's muggles are hostile to magic and if you two are inside as well it might get back. I'll have him out soon enough." And with that the young witch followed in Harry's path. Vernon moved to stop her but Tonks already briefed on how to deal with the Dursleys thanks to her time with the Order in case guard duty ever involved interaction knew how to deal with them. Tonks sighed but looked the enormous muggle in the eye. "Look Mr. Dursley, Harry's leaving with us. If you let me go inside and help him pack he'll be gone that much faster from your home."

Vernon who had been getting a characteristic red considered this for a moment. "Alright girl go and help the boy but don't you dare touch anything or steal or I'll call the cops and report you all." Tonks made no mention of the fact she was an Auror and as such had legal standing in the muggle system and could deal with muggle policeman, instead just moving inside leaving the sisters Black standing on the sidewalk glaring with visible dislike and Vernon who looked back with equal if not greater dislike and hatred. Vernon was working up a steady shade of purple and a vein in his brow was beginning to visibly throb but he behaved himself for the moment. Several minutes passed before out of one of the windows a snowy white owl took wing. Vernon looked up and grumbled. "Bloody good riddance of the filthy beast."

At this Narcissa walked up the driveway towards where Vernon stood her heels clicking on the concrete. Vernon's purple face turned to look at her as she approached and his eyes narrowed as he looked her over trying to get a read on her and not liking what he saw. To Vernon everything could be defined by class and status. The last time Vernon had been exposed to a magical adult had been Mr. Weasley two summers previously when Harry had been taken to the Burrow for the remainder of the summer and to see the quiditch world cup. Mr. Weasley while a good, kind, and friendly man was also a financially poor man who often came off as silly particularly given his obsession with all things muggle. Vernon had taken one look at Mr. Weasleys worn robes and demeanor and come to one conclusion.

With Narcissa Malfoy he looked her over and came to a far different conclusion, and not one he at all liked. Even a muggle like Vernon Dursley couldn't miss the emerald earnings she was wearing or the silver and diamond necklace she wore. The golden rings on her fingers all screamed wealth and to a man like Vernon Dursley wealth meant a great deal. Further more the robes she wore because of their cut and quality bore less resemblance to the stereotypical witches featured in film and television. She bore no wart and was definitely not a crone, in fact Narcissa Malfoy was a quite frankly beautiful woman and she carried herself with a confidence that few individuals, man or woman, could match. So Vernon Dursely completely off foot by the woman before him watched her approach but did and said nothing not even the insulting words he so commonly used in regards to all things magical.

"Harry has clearly been poorly served in living in your home. It is a shame that he was forced to live here but no more. You will never see him again if I have any say about it but before you go you will apologize just once for what I can only suspect has been years of mistreatment at your hands." Vernon bristled visibly turning another shade of purple. "I don't know what you think gives you the right to have any say about how I treat the boy but I have done nothing that he has not deserved for being what he is." Narcissa gave Vernon Dursley a cold look with her eyes. "I was not making a suggestion. But there is little time and you shall apologize for your horrid behavior." With that Narcissa pulled out her wand from the sleeve of her robe and pointed it straight at Vernon. " _Imperio_ " Narcissa cast the unforgivable and smiled thinly as she felt the insidious magic take hold and Vernon's face go blank and the purple fade away. He turned and looked at the door to his house waiting while Narcissa walked back to stand beside her sister who gave her a questioning look but said nothing. No more than thirty seconds later Harry and Tonks came out the front door. They had no visible possessions of Harry with them which no doubt meant that his trunk had been shrunken and slipped into his pocket for ease of travel. Harry walked across the lawn moving towards Narcissa and Andromeda when Vernon spoke.

"Harry, may I speak to you?" Harry stopped completely caught off guard by the fact that for the first time that he could ever remember Vernon Dursley was actually referring to him by name. He took a brief moment to glance suspiciously at Narcissa and Andromeda but said nothing before cautiously walked over to stand in front of Vernon who looked strangely calm despite having hated magic users in front of his house. Harry raised a brow in surprise as Vernon continued addressing him. "Harry, I would like to apologize the way we treated you for all those years. I know I am not worthy of your forgiveness for what we did but I wanted to say it anyways." Harry by the end was just staring wide eyed at Vernon who then got into his car with no further comment and drove off. Harry's gaze was riveted to Vernon until the man drove out of sight and like clockwork Harry's gaze turned to look at the two witches standing on the sidewalk. Taking a deep breath he walked over to them. "I won't ask what spell you used on him but I'm going to assume that was because of one of you two. Just take me to Grimmauld Place. I'm done here and ready to leave this place behind."

Tonks nodded and taking Harry's arm side-along apparated him to the park in front of Grimmauld place. Narcissa and Andromeda appeared a moment after he did but immediately began looking around in confusion. Tonks saw them and explained. "Grimmauld is under Fidelius right now. I'll talk to Dumbledore about getting you in but for today this is where you'll need to say goodbye to Harry." Harry turned looking at each of the three witches. After a brief moment Narcissa hugged him in a sudden movement. Harry didn't hug her back but he knew she needed this so he let her hug him for a brief moment before taking a step back. "Look I'll write each of you and we'll go forward but I need time. Please don't rush me that's all I can ask is time and space to think with. Anyways thanks for helping me get answers. Goodbye." And then like that he turned and headed towards 12 Grimmauld Place. As soon as he stepped onto the front stoop he vanished from view of the two sisters Black and a moment later the knowledge of where he had stepped faded as well. The two knew that Grimmauld was located here thanks to their years of association but the Fidelius hid its location from their minds and with it Harry's location as well.

Tonks looked to her mother and aunt. "I'm his security detail for the next few days. I'll keep an eye on him and owl you if there's any developments." And with that she turned and walked off following where Harry had gone. Narcissa and Andromeda were left standing there on the edge of the park looking at each other. "It was good to see you Cissy. I hope you work things out with Harry." Andromeda said before Apparating away. And then Narcissa Malfoy was left standing alone in the park. Finally alone with her thoughts she walked to a nearby bench and took a seat to sort through her thoughts. It would be an hour before she too would finally apparate away.


	5. Chapter 5: Alone

**AN: It should be mentioned that I do not own Harry Potter. I can only thank Rowling for this sandbox that so many individuals, myself included, get to dream in. I write only because I have read so many fanfics that I've begun having my own ideas that refuse to get out of my head.**

 **Also I appreciate all reviews and I don't check them before they go up (So if you want to flame me go ahead I'm not stopping you). I want your input good, bad, and ugly. I can only ask that if you are going to flame me, particularly about my spelling and/or grammar, you at least check your own first and don't use made up words.**

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Harry stood inside the entryway of 12 Grimmauld Place his back pressed against the door keeping it shut. His eyes were squeezed shut and behind his fists were pressed palm first against the door, his fingers clenched tight. He was alone now and with the door shut and sealed and presumably no one else in the house he let loose on the urge to scream that he'd been containing since Gringotts. His roar of frustration sounded through the house and woke several of the portraits on multiple floors including Sirius's mother at the far end of the hallway. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE THIS INSTANT YOU VAGABOND! HOW DARE YOU DISGRACE THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK WITH YOUR PRESENCE!"

Harry reaching the tipping point whipped his wand out and pointed it straight at her and shouted back. "WOULD YOU SHUT UP YOU HAG?!" And like magic though she was clearly still screaming in outrage he couldn't hear anything. He stared for a moment wondering what had happened. He knew he hadn't used magic on her. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice from the side. "The Warlock of Black. Kreacher is pleased to serve however you wish master." Looking down Harry saw the demented house elf that had been the bane of Sirius's existence. Barely restraining his urge to take his anger out on the house elf that had been in a small way responsible for Sirius's death he stalked past the house elf and the silent but still raging Mrs. Black.

Reaching the living room Harry dropped onto one of the couches and laid there looking up at the ceiling for a moment. His hand idly stroked his face again feeling the new contours of his face and a moment of inspiration struck. He made his way to the bathroom and inside took in his new appearance. Standing in front of the mirror it finally sunk in. Reflecting back on the meeting on Grigotts he'd heard Mrs. Tonks comment on how he did look like Lucius Malfoy and as much as he hated it he did look like the man. Under other circumstances Harry would have considered himself better looking but he was so consumed by the fact he now looked like the hated enemies of his life both Draco and Lucius Malfoy.

In fact barring a few minor details the only notable differences he had in appearance from the two were his hair color and eye color both of which came from Mrs. Black clearly. His hair was the same black color it had been before although the untamable mess was vanished and it instead was now quite straight as it hung down clear to his shoulders. His eyes were the same blue Mrs. Malfoy had but he was focused on his hair that looked so much like Lucius Malfoy, so much so that despite the black versus platinum blond he found Lucius Malfoy staring back at him and he hated. Yanking open first one drawer above the sink and then another he found a pair of scissors and taking the scissors in one hand and his hair in the other he began cutting it back to his old length.

By the time he was done his hair was quite uneven but at least he no longer looked like a black haired Lucius Malfoy and Harry couldn't help but smirk. He nearly jumped out of his skin though when he spotted a reflection of Tonks standing in the doorway watching him in the mirror's reflection. "Rebelling already Harry? Here give me the scissors. If you're going to give Lucius no satisfaction you should at least look decent about it. You're the Warlock of Black now. There will be expectations."

Harry looked back at her through the reflection of the mirror before nodding and holding the scissors up for her to take and just stood there. Tonks walked into the bathroom and stood behind him taking the scissors in hand and started doing a much better job. Not only did she neaten up and trim the uneven hair but she took it a little bit shorter since as she put it. "You still look too much like Draco. If you really want to stand away from those two arrogant arses then you need to be effective."

Harry scowled at her reflection in the mirror as she continued to cut his hair but seeing what she eventually did she understood. Draco had reasonably long hair that came down a bit, his father had longer hair still, but Harry now had much shorter hair cut close in what muggles would call a military style cut. He couldn't help but remember the only time he had hair this short in his entire memory. It had been the time his former aunt had given him a very similar haircut leaving only his bangs to hide his scar. Now he didn't even have the bangs but he also didn't have a scar anymore. He still had the aristocratic features of the Malfoys with just enough of the black family features that some of his old features of his face still showed. Instead of his formerly messy hair his now quite straight hair was cut very very short and for the first time in his life Harry found himself liking having his hair so short.

Studying himself in the mirror now it was even harder to make out his old face. He wondered how in the world he would handle going back to Hogwarts looking like a bloody Malfoy. Would Draco even be able to keep quiet about that fact? He hadn't come to terms with the fact that the people who he thought had given birth to him and had died trying to protect him had also stolen him away from another family to save their own son.

As he was in the middle of thought Tonks took a step back lowering the scissors letting Harry come to a decision, if he hated it she could always grow his hair out with a charm and try again but she let him exaimine it visually and by running his fingers through it to see how it felt in his hands before finally he gave the reflection of Tonks in the mirror a nod and turned to her. "Thanks. I figure you probably have to stay with me and all. I just want to be alone for a while. I've got a lot to think about.

Tonks didn't follow him out and instead made her way to the Black Library to find a book to read while he made his way upstairs. She could faintly hear him talking to what sounded like Kreacher for a moment before all sound faded. She didn't see him until the following day when he came down around noon for lunch. He'd skipped breakfast and if Kreacher's grumbling was anything to go by he hadn't eaten what the house elf had brought up at breakfast, it was a little shocking how much Harry looked like he'd been run over by a herd of Hippogryphs. He looked like he hadn't slept at all, there were clearly bags beneath his eyes and she could see a freshly healed cut on his knuckles that looked like he'd punched something. She sat across the table from him as she finished reading the Daily Prophet before folding it and pushing it across the table.

"You'd better eat and read. They found out which isn't a big surprise all things considered. The Prophet might be a rag most days out of the week but they are very good at sniffing out secrets even if it wasn't Rita Skeeter that did the writing this time." Harry stared at her with haunted eyes before his eyes drifted down to the paper and reaching out he turned it around to read the headlines as a bowl of soup appeared infront of where he was sitting courtesy of Kreacher. Almost mechanically he took a spoon and began to eat as he read.

 **NEW WARLOCK OF BLACK CONFIRMED**

 **It was confirmed yesterday that the House of Black has a new head of house in the personage of one Harry Potter. The previus head of the ancient bloodline was escaped mass murder Sirius Black. However being on the run he was never able to change his status from Heir to Warlock. However it seems that he willed his position to his godson Harry Potter upon his death. Such a move would of course surprise many given the instrumental role Black played in the betrayal of Potter's parents to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, as well as the deaths of thirteen muggles and Peter Pettigrew.**

 **Black died two weeks previous during the attack on the Ministry. While Ministry officials and spokespersons have remained tight lipped about what exactly happened apart from the confirmation that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was sighted after dueling Albus Dumbledore in the Ministry Atrium. Sirius Black's death however was confirmed. Lacking additional details we at the Daily Prophet can only speculate that he was present as a known Death Eater and was assisting in the attack.**

 **Details regarding the will reading of the late Sirius Black have been minimal as it seems Albus Dumbledore himself who was at the will reading has sworn all present to oaths of secrecy as far as we can discern however we were able to determine the list of those present at the will reading. The attendees were Albus Dumbledore who was the Headmaster at Hogwarts during the time Black was in school. Remus Lupin, a friend of Blacks was also in attendance. Mr. Lupin is a former teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts who resigned when his status as a werewolf was revealed. Narcissa Malfoy and her son Draco Malfoy were both present. Narcissa is Sirius's first cousin and it was speculated that Draco Malfoy would be the next Warlock of Black upon Sirius Black's death.**

 **In addition Andromeda Tonks and her daughter Nymphadora Tonks were present. Mrs. Tonks is Narcissa Malfoy's older sister and was rumored to have been thrown out of the Black family. Her daughter is currently an Auror and was a protoge of Alastor 'Mad Eye' Moody himself during her training. The final three members present at the will reading were Harry Potter himself and Hermoine Granger and Ronald Weasley. We at the Daily Prophet have been unable to determine what the connection with Sirius Black is with both Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley apart from the fact that they have been confirmed as close friends and confidants of our very own Boy-Who-Lived.**

 **What is clear amidst all the mysteries of why everyone was invited to the will reading and why other members of the extended Black Family were not is that changes are coming. A check with the Wizengamot office has confirmed that Mr. Black emancipated his godson in addition to everything else so Mr. Potter will begin attending Wizengamot sessions as early as next week's saturday session and he will be required to attend the Summer Solstice session that is upcoming.**

 **For more on Sirius Black turn to page 3.  
For more on the Black Family turn to page 5.  
For political analysis on the impact in the Wizengamot please turn to page 9.**

When Harry was finished reading he simply set the paper down and got up walking away in silence leaving his bowl of soup half finished. Tonks followed a moment later and found him laying on an old ornate couch in the den his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Tonks watched with concern not sure at all what was going through Harry's head. "Harry?" There was no response except for a blink as Harry just laid there. Tonks waited a moment before trying again. "Look I know things are tough but if you need me just let me know I'll be here so just come and find me if you need someone to talk to alright?" Tonks thought there might have been a slight nod but then maybe Harry had just swallowed instead, either way she got no concrete response so with a last concerned look she walked out of the room.

For the next week Harry said nothing to her. They ate in silence fed by meals Kreacher made for them morning noon and night, Harry was particularly mechanical as if the process of eating food was a chore that needed to be done. The fact that as the days passed Kreacher's cooking drastically improved made no impact on the young wizard. Apart from that he would do several things. Sometimes he would just sit and stare at the Black family tapestry, other times he would spend hours reading in the library or he would just explore Grimmauld Place as if he had never been there before and everything was new to them.

No one came to Grimmauld Place and after the second day of no visitors Tonks figured Dumbledore had to be keeping people away to give Harry time alone rather than having members of the Order of the Phoenix bustling about Harry's home. It wasn't until the day after the first Wizengamot session that Harry could have attended, he obviously hadn't gone just spending the entire day in the library reading instead, that they recieved visitors. Loud knocking announced their arrivals, Harry was in the library along with Tonks when they first heard the knocking. When Harry made no move to get up and go to the door and in fact made no move at all except for turning the page he was reading Tonks put her book aside and got up and went to the door. She knew the wards would keep any hostiles out and the house was under Fidelius by Dumbledore still whoever was at the door had both Dumbledore's blessing and wasn't a threat.

Tonks opened the door and was surprised to see her mother standing there with a look of hidden fury on her face and by her mother's side her Aunt Narcissa who looked like she had been crying and was clearly sad. Andromeda glared at her daughter. "Where is he?" Was all she asked, all she needed to ask as Tonks took a step back to let them in and said. "Library." Andromeda swept past, a woman on a mission while her younger sister followed behind and behind her came Tonks curious if this would be enough to get Harry to snap out of his funk.

Three found Harry exactly where Tonks had left him, he hadn't moved, infact he didn't even look at them. Andromeda glared at him for a long moment while Narcissa looked down in sadness and Tonks watched from the side waiting to see if she would need to step in if things got out of hand, not that she would be able to do much if Harry was the problem given he was her head of house. "You have a lot of nerve young man, blowing off a Wizengamot meeting. All of England and beyond is watching House Black and yet you remain here and do nothing. They were expecting you to be at that session and when you weren't there it began to make people wonder. We are all House Black but its you that everyone else looks to see. It doesn't matter what the rest of us do if you are making a disgrace of our house."

Harry actually turned to look at Andromeda but his gaze was not cowed, in fact he didn't even seem to care as he watched her tear into him. When she finally finished for the moment he was silent for a moment as if thinking about all the things she had said and his gaze drifted away before snapping back to her. "Why?" The question caught all three women off guard. Each had their own expectations as to how Harry would reply and react but none were right and it caught all three off balance as Harry continued. "Why should I care. I mean sure this was Sirius's family but he hated them, they kicked him out and he left to go live with James. So he didn't clearly care all that much. As for why I should care, so what? My family isn't who I thought it was, hell I don't have family." A strangled sob of agony escaped Narcissa's throat hearing him say he didn't have a family but he ignored it as he continued. "For the longest time in my life I thought my parents were drunks who didn't work and got killed on a car crash and my Aunt and Uncle were stuck raising me. That was what I knew until I was eleven. Then I find out I'm a wizard and no my parents weren't drunks and worthless, they were heroes but they're still dead only now they died to save me their son from a murderous psychopath who's a giant hypocrite."

"But lone behold it doesn't stop there because they were dead and they wound up that way because my father's best friend didn't betray them. Only that's not the truth but another friend did it instead and framed the first friend. Now I find out that the family I've always thought was mine not only wasn't mine but they had a kid and replaced him with me to protect him from the dark half-blood, almost a muggleborn, psychopath that was after them. Better yet still, my actual family as it turns out has wanted me dead for years and when they don't want me dead they've delighted in making my life hell. You know I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother. I find out of got one and it turns out its the idiotic ponce who's been alternately trying to get me in trouble, harm me, and risk my life ever since I met him. My father as it turns out is an arrogant bigot who licks the boots of the previously mentioned half-blood psychopath and has tried to kill me on three separate occasions. And while my mother." He finally looked at Narcissa. "Hasn't done anything at all one way or another after all this shit you'll have to forgive me for not jumping for joy. So let me make this clear. Why should I care?"

All three women were left standing there unsure of how to respond. Narcissa and Andromeda had both come for different reasons but each intended to see Harry but now they were staring in front of a young man had just torn through the plans each had made with his simply straight forward and brutally honest commentary on the overall shittiness of his life.

After a long moment where Harry just glared at them and the women just stood there. Narcissa had started crying again. Andromeda sighed and hung her head admitting defeat before moving to sit next to Harry. "Alright you're write about all of that. Lucius is a bastard and his son isn't any better. Sorry Cissy but you know its true. But your family is more than just the Malfoys. You are the head of House Black and that means I'm your family too as is my daughter. I'm your Aunt. She's your cousin and so what if your real father and brother are idiots. We're not. I know my sister and she wants nothing more than to have you in her life. And if that won't happen then she'll be in yours instead. We, all three of us here are Blacks. And to us family is more important than anything. So we're here for you. We'll be your family. But its not just a one way street. We need you to be our family too. You are the head of our family whether you like it or not and that means you have responsibilities."

"One of those responsibilities is the wizengamot session yesterday that you blew off. You only are required by law to attend two sessions out of the year, one at the Winter Solstice and one at the Summer Solstice. But you should attend as many as you can. Regardless of that crap about what James Potter did you are still a Potter and more importantly a lot of people think you are the last one left. We may know better and so does Dumbledore, but the rest of the wizarding world does not. You don't need to be the head of House Potter to benefit from its allies. So we need you to be our face. You be the head and we'll be the heart and body and the brain if need be. But we need you to work with us."

Harry looked at her for the first time without the frustrated expression on his face as he listened to her words. In the end he could only do one thing, he nodded. In the end Andromeda was right. There was more to his family than just the people who were on par with the Dursleys. It wasn't like he had to live with them, he didn't even have to use their name if he wanted. He could be a Black and give Draco and their father the finger and deal with the family he chose to live with, not the family he was born with.

Seeing the first sign of acceptance Andromeda gave him a small smile for the first time. "Good, you've got a lot to learn since you grew up muggle so here's what we are going to do to get you ready..."


	6. Chapter 6: The Wizengamot

**AN: I am aware that according to the canonical timeline this will not work as as the Summer Solstice occurs while the students are still in school until the end of June. However I am taking a touch of artistic license to shift the end of the Hogwart's school year by one month. So the end of the school year and all the events of year five's ending including the battle of the Ministry occurred at the end of may giving four weeks between Sirius's death and the Summer Solstice. Just so everyone who starts checking my timeline against the official cannon timeline.**

 **Additionally I would like to make this clear. Harry is still Harry. Treat Harry as if he had been adopted by Lily and James (He was in all the ways that matter except for legality). He still protected the Sorceror's Stone, he still killed the Basilisk, he still fought off over a hundred Dementors in year three and won the Tri-Wizard Tournament in year four. He still had prior to the will reading the 'I will not tell lies' scar. He may not have been born to Lily and James, but that does not mean he is not Harry Potter.**

 **It should be mentioned that I do not own Harry Potter. I can only thank Rowling for this sandbox that so many individuals, myself included, get to dream in. I write only because I have read so many fanfics that I've begun having my own ideas that refuse to get out of my head.**

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Dumbledore stood in a private waiting chamber for Order of Merlin recipients pacing slowly back and forth. Gone were his usual robes of eye catching colors that tended to offend the sensibilities of those that looked at them. Instead he wore the black robes of a member of the Wizengamot, his Order of Merlin First Class hanging from his neck. In previous years he would have had the privacy of the office of the Chief Warlock but that had been taken from him the previous year during the now freshly out of office Former Minister of Magic Cornelius of Fudge's campaign against him following Voldemort's resurrection two summers previously.

Five others, two witches, and three wizards, all sat in the waiting room patiently along with him. To most of them this was nothing out of the ordinary even if Voldemort's return was now publicly admitted. Like himself the others present in the waiting room had many years of age and had sat through other times of trouble during wizengamot solstice sessions. He caught the eye of Newt Scamander, the elderly man giving Dumbledore a nod at one point as the Headmaster paced and Dumbledore forced a smile with sincerity and calm that he did not feel.

It was not Voldemort's now public return that had Dumbledore so worried. He'd gone through two solstice sessions already since Tom's return and while the lack of public cooperation had been worrying it hadn't been enough to send Dumbledore into a nervous state such of this in front of other individuals no less. The reason Dumbledore was in such a worried state was because for the last two weeks Dumbledore had no contact at all with the young Harry Potter. It was a situation admittedly of his own making, with Sirius's death Harry had everything in his life destabilized and Dumbledore's revelations during and after the will reading had not been ideal but still necessary and admittedly.

Following Harry's rant in Dumbledore's office just under four weeks ago the night after Sirius's death had proven just how angry the young man was with his situation. While the table had certainly been overturned but a number of the delicate magical instruments on it had been broken beyond repair, including several that had monitored Harry's well being. Dumbledore only knew that Harry was still alive since he was presumably behind the safety of the wards of Grimmauld. Dumbledore had shifted headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix temporarily to the Burrow temporarily to give Harry time to grieve and come to terms. Dumbledore hated being blind but the young man had certainly earned that much from Dumbledore and so the Headmaster had given Harry his time and space trusting in young Nymphadora Tonks to report if Harry was in a bad state.

Dumbledore had only seen the young Auror once in passing since she had been assigned as Harry's bodyguard by both Dumbledore on behalf of the Order and by Amelia Bones in her position as the head of the DMLE prior to her death at the end of Death Eater wands. In truth Dumbledore wasn't sure if the presence of a bodyguard had been necessary as it seemed Voldemort had learned of Harry's parentage somehow. Prior to the will reading Death Eater activity had been heavily increasing as well as reports of Dementors in muggle communities. The day after the will reading though all Death Eater activity had stopped. Dumbledore hadn't heard from or seen Severus since the day before the will reading but it seemed likely that somehow despite Dumbledore's insisted vows on all present at the will reading the secret had gotten out.

Dumbledore was now operating in a void though he was grateful for the temporary halt in hostilities as it had given him time to work with the Ministry to prepare. Making up for lost time Dumbledore had spent his days getting key Ministry personnel as well as Auror member residences under Fidelius. But the silence of Death Eater activity had Dumbledore increasingly worried almost as much as the lack of communication regarding Harry. Still Amelia Bones had been killed even before the reading of Sirius along with several other Ministry officials but the silence after the will reading had allowed Dumbledore to get many of the remaining key Ministry officials behind sufficiently powerful wards.

Hearing the sound of a bell being rung Dumbledore stopped pacing and made his way for the door of the waiting room. Out in the hallway other Wizengamot members and key Ministry officials that held seats by their office positions were making their way down the hallway into the Wizengamot chamber. Dumbledore could make out the head of newly minted Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimegeour walking along with the equally new head of the DMLE Pius Thicknesse.

Elsewhere Dumbledore could make out other key members of the Wizengamot. Heads of families or in rare cases their proxies filled the hall from all across the political spectrum of England as they walked into the Wizengamot chamber. There was also a rare smattering of additional individuals accompanying some members of the Wizengamot. The chamber was circular in shape with chairs in the front most row dedicated for Ministry Officials and Order of Merlin recipients. After the first row instead of chairs grouped together came boxes for each of the Houses that held a seat in the Wizengamot. Normally a box was generally only occupied by a head of house but by law a head of house was able to bring anyone they wished with them. It served to allow guests, advisers, and family members to join a head of house.

Normally the only frequent use of the space in the boxes, each of which could seat the head of house plus an additional six others, was by heads of houses bringing their heirs along to witness and familiarize themselves with Wizengamot protocol and politics. The other rare but still customary filling of a box was when a blood feud was being resolved before the Wizengamot, traditionally in such cases family members and any with grievances were present at such times.

Dumbledore took a moment to stand in the center of the chamber as members made their way to their boxes, at the back of the room up in a balcony the press sat watching. Several spells prevented the press from interfering in the chamber in any way but still allowed them to be fully observant of all that occurred in the chamber. Finally Dumbledore took a moment to look at the Houses present. Traiditionally although by custom boxes remained held by families the boxes did occasionally shift as houses would sometimes shift alignments. Dumbledore couldn't help but notice that the House of Black now held pride of place near the center of the light aligned houses.

By tradition Dark aligned houses filled one part of the chamber and the Light the opposite side with neutrals forming the buffer in between. Each box was designated by the House coat of arms displayed at the front of each box, the tiered rings allowed easy viewing and Dumbledore turned noting many of the Dark aligned Wizengamot representatives were already casting dark glares at a the shield. Previously Narcissa Malfoy had stood in proxy for the House of Black and had voted the Dark interest up until now but clearly with Harry taking the helm of House Black a key vote had been pulled from the Dark. Dumbledore couldn't help but frown though at seeing the placement of the House Potter shield in the box next to House Black's.

Dumbledore supposed that if fate was kind the questions of why Harry had not assumed the headship of House Potter would be diverted as he was not yet seventeen and Sirius's will had only allowed for Harry to assume headship of House Black. There was a slight murmur though as Dumbledore studied the House Potter crest that adorned the box that had sat empty for the last fifteen years. Turning Dumbledore looked as Harry walked into the Wizengamot chamber. It had taken him a moment to recognize Harry given his new face and how short his hair was, the loss of the green eyes was the most shocking change for Dumbledore although of course he had known the true original blue that had been Harry's eye color at birth.

Still though Harry's face had been a bit hard to recognize when Dumbledore was still used to putting Harry's old face in his mind, his attire was quite a bit harder to match with the noble Gryfindor. Where before Harry usually wore muggle clothing beneath an open style robe, now Harry walked into the chamber in clothes befitting the Warlock of Black. He wore an open style dueling robe made of gleaming black dragon scales that if Dumbledore's knowledgeable gaze was correct, came from a Herbadian Black. Beneath the dueling robe he wore dress robes that were probably made from acromantula silk. His tie was in black and silver and Dumbledore was wondering where the sudden wardrobe change had come from. True Harry had money sufficient but he was certain if Harry had made any unplanned large withdrawals he would have received a letter from France relaying the news to him. He of course had no direct information on the status of Harry's vault, but if Harry for example suddenly emptied his trust vault he was sure that Charlus would have sent him an owl.

Lacking such an owl it seemed likely that the robes had come from a member of the House of Black. Harry was close enough in size to Regulus Black that Harry could easily be wearing Sirus's younger brother's clothes. The final option for the sudden splurge in fashion was that the money had been provided by one or all of the three witches that were following and flanking him as he entered. Narcissa Malfoy, Andromeda Tonks, and Nymphadora Tonks all followed Harry into the chamber and a good portion of the chamber went quiet focusing on the four as they walked in and made their way straight for the House Black box. Obviously few knew what Harry now looked like but the sisters Black were well known and Nymphadora was a decent substitute for Bleatrix Lestrange. True the young auror lacked her aunts madness but they were both ferocious enough in battle and Nymphadora when she was in her role such as now was a far cry removed from the accident prone Auror that Dumbledore knew.

Dumbledore was still standing in the center of the room as Harry took his seat in the Head of House seat and the three ladies took seats behind him. His eye noted that Andromeda and Narcissa had clearly coordinated their outfits not only with eachother's but Harry's as well choosing outfits that spoke of taste, wealth and elegance, but also did not overly catch the eye allowing Harry's robes as the head of house catch the most gaze. As for Tonks she rather conspicuously was wearing black Auror battle robes.

A new bell sounded in the air above Dumbledore and he glanced up a moment where a magical charm had made the musical note come from before casting another glance at Harry. Harry caught his eye and Dumbledore noted that while the ladies Black had clearly been working to turn Harry into a pureblood head of house by his mannerisms and actions underneath he was still Harry Potter. The young man's eyes tightened as did his mouth and Dumbledore got the feeling that he and Harry were not yet out of the woods but now was not the time to deal with that. Instead he walked in Harry's direction to take his seat in the front row that was his as an Order of Merlin recipient.

When the last of the wizards and witches present was seated Rufus Scrimegour at his spot as the British Minister of Magic, wrapped a gavel calling the session to order.

"Welcome ladies and gentleman, warlocks and sorceresses. We are gathered for the Summer Solstice session of our Wizengamot. I will take a moment to say we have some new faces among us today. We have three young individuals who will be representing their families either with proxies or directly with us today but before we proceed further I would like to address the proposal to name Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin First Class and Headmaster of Hogwarts, to the position of Chief Warlock once more. Are the proposing members that suggested this last week still insistent on this measure?"

Dumbledore looked to the side where Arthur Weasley and Hestia Jones each rose in their family boxes on the wing of the Light section and nodded. Dumbledore glanced back to Scrimegour as Arthur and Hestia sat once more. "Very well do I have a seconding motion?" Dumbledore watched as the aged Newt Scamander rose from his chair and raised his wand. "I second."

Scrimegour nodded. "Very well. This is simply a voting to confirm the previous week's decision to confirm Albus Dumbledore as Chief Warlock once more. All in favor raise your wands." Dumbledore watched as Scrimegour's secretary counted and Dumbledore watched the neutrals and Dark factions noting any that voted. He briefly took a moment to glance back and see if there were any members of the Light he needed to be worried about. What caught him by surprise was not a noted abstainer but rather the sight of Harry Potter raising his wand to vote in support.

Dumbledore had to be perfectly honest in that he had expected Harry to vote against him or atleast abstain after everything he had put the young man through. Harry quite rightly had more cause to be angry with Dumbledore than most. Instead Harry was quite visibly, albeit silently, voting in support of Dumbledore. The Headmaster gave a nod of thanks to Harry when he caught the young man's gaze although Harry didn't return it instead his eyes flicking across the chamber to the Dark faction as Narcissa Malfoy was quite deliberately leaning forward behind Harry to whisper quietly in his ear.

Dumbledore had no doubt that Harry was being coached in how to act and advised on how to vote by the sisters Black. Because Harry if he did survive the war would almost certainly never take the headship of House Potter Dumbledore hadn't guided political experts to Harry. Why train him for something he wouldn't need after all. The end result of becoming the Warlock of Black had admittedly been outside Dumbledore's predictions although in hindsight he knew he should have predicted it as at least a possibility.

But the past was in the past and the end result was a Harry that lacked the knowledge of how to deal with Wizarding Politics. Thankfully the sisters Black were both raised on such mannerisms and while Andromeda Tonks since her banishment from her family had stepped out of the political world to pursue her career as a healer, Narcissa Malfoy had been the wife of an upper echelon political family. Dumbledore held no doubt that more than a few of Lucius's maneuvers and schemes had been the brain children of Narcissa, to have that mind now guiding Harry was quite reassuring. He could only hope that Harry would be wise enough to see any maneuvers of her own that might help her husband and his master for what they were.

Dumbledore couldn't help but notice after a moment more that Harry's gaze was rather fixed. Following it across the room understanding hit Dumbledore as it was clear Harry's gaze was fixed on Draco Malfoy who was sitting in the Malfoy box in the rearmost row of the Dark faction. Mr. Malfoy was clearly present because of his father's absence but with his mother on the opposite side of the room with Mr. Malfoy's younger sibling, Harry, he had hired the services of a solicitor that was from a firm that would provide proxies for families that did not have anyone capable of voting. The solicitor notably was not voting for Dumbledore but that did not bother Dumbledore though he would admit the blatant hatred on the young man's face as he glared across the way at his estranged family in the Black family box.

Dumbledore turned away from watching young Mr. Malfoy to look at where the new Undersecretary had just finished counting the votes the man who Dumbledore recognized as a member of the Aurors, likely a choice made for the dual reasons of being someone Scrimgeour could trust and was a known factor. The former Auror turned Undersecretary spoke quietly to his boss before the Minister addressed the gathered body. "Those against?"

Dumbledore scanned the room now looking away from Harry though he did glance at the light to see any that were voting against him. The only heads of house that voted in the light, against him were ones he knew were in the camp of others seeking the position of Chief Warlock rather than defectors shifting to the Dark and Voldemort. A quick scan of the room confirmed Dumbledore's predictions though he remained seated where he was until the votes were counted and Scrimgeour called on him to take the office once more.

Rising to his feet Dumbledore left his chair in the innermost circle and took the position of Chief Warlock. He took a moment to scan the room reading the faces while his supporters continued to applaud in approval and those that had voted against him displayed reactions ranging from resignation to anger and the whole spectrum in between. Harry Dumbledore noticed was clapping with considerably less fervor than Dumbledore remembered from years past during feasts at Hogwarts. Clearly he was not out of the woods yet with Mr. Potter but Dumbledore would take what he could get when it came to his relationship with the young Warlock of Black.

"Ladies and Gentleman, before we proceed further we should address our new member present." Dumbledore glanced out of the corner of his eye at Draco Malfoy who was scowling quite furiously now and showing no restraint in the display of his emotions or thoughts, it was a shame he had not learned more from his mother although admittedly even Lucius Malfoy was capable of keeping his emotions from being betrayed on his face. He glanced back to the House Black box. "House Black has a new head of house. Harry Potter has been chosen by the Black family magics as the new Warlock of Black. I will now yield the floor if Mr. Potter wishes to address this esteemed body."

Harry sat still for a moment more clearly listening to whatever Narcissa Malfoy was whispering into his ear before rising. Dumbledore scrutinized Harry with intensity as Harry stood at the front of the Black box and surveyed the chamber and its occupants for a moment before speaking.

"I Harry James Potter would like to thank the Chief Warlock for his consideration. Almost all of you know me as The-Boy-Who-Lived after all the night my parents were murdered was also the night Voldemort was defeated." There was an audible gasp of shock as Harry said his name. Light, Dark, and Neutrals alike were goggle eyed as someone dared to utter the feared name. "Personally I have always felt that the credit lay with Lily Potter rather than any act I did myself. However while my survival that Halloween may have been the result of my parents actions I have survived four additional encounters with Voldemort since then."

Dumbledore had to let off several cannon bursts from his wand to bring those in the chamber to calm as the room had erupted when Harry had yet again dared to say Voldemort's name where few others ever did, even more shocking was his utterance of the meetings with Voldemort. While the Daily Prophet had by now covered the Ministry break in and had also covered Harry's claims that Voldemort had risen the previous year but while the gathered body might have been ready for the knowledge of two meetings with Voldemort it was the two extra meetings that had everyone in shock.

While everyone was concocting increasingly ridiculous fantasies about how and when Harry had faced Voldemort, Harry continued in the freshly imposed peace provided b the cannon blasts from Dumbledore's wand though the quiet murmuring was still persistent around the edges of the room. "My godfather Sirius Black named me his heir. Regardless of what you all may think or believe he did not betray Lily and James Potter that Halloween night. The real betrayer was Peter Pettigrew. I have heard the confession from his own mouth two years ago now that he was the one who had betrayed them to Voldemort. Sirius Black was innocent and I will make it clear now that the House of Black will tolerate no allusions to the contrary."

The chamber as if on cue erupted into a fresh wave of frenzied outcries as Harry's newest words rocked the certainties of those in the chamber fresh again. Dumbledore's wand had to unleash two more cannon blasts before Harry would continue in the freshly quieted but still furiously whispering room. "I call on everyone in this chamber to stand together against Voldemort. Stand together Light and Dark. Do not fear a man who hides behind a lie and a false name. I challenge everyone present to stand against Voldemort or as he is legally known, Tom Marvolo Riddle. To those that follow him believing in a pureblood agenda I say know your leader is a half-blood. To those who have suffered in the past I say this. Do not give into fear. I know as well as any the price that fighting him can cost, but I still fight him. I have not and will not give in to his threats or his terror. Finally I am announcing that my Aunt Andromeda Tonks will serve as my proxy while I am at Hogwarts as a student."

With that Harry took a seat but the damage was done. Dumbledore could not bring peace to the chamber no matter how many bursts from his wand he unleashed and after the fifth he just sat and let the chaos run its course as the Wizengamot was on its feet. Harry had announced bombshells one after another. Dumbledore could not help but wish Harry had not revealed all that he did. While the knowledge that some followed Voldemort in delusion would sway some of his followers after the last two weeks of peace Dumbledore could not help but feel a fear that Voldemort would retaliate in a very brutal manner now that his secrets were being laid bare. Blood would run, of that Dumbledore was sure but Harry was his own man in this and Dumbledore couldn't help but sigh as he tried to visualize a way through this.

As the legislative body continue to roar in confusion, shock, and outrage at one another with witches and wizards of all walks of life on their feet shouting at one another he couldn't resist smirking slightly. Whatever else Dumbledore thought of Harry's words this day he had to admit that the purebloods would have a fit at having a woman married to a muggle representing the oldest magical house in all of Europe in their midst. But Dumbledore didn't fear. Between Andromeda's childhood training as a Daughter of Black and her sister, he had no doubt she would be ready for anything the politicians tried to throw at her.

In the Light section amidst all the heads of houses that were on their feet in outrage the House Black box was an island of calm as Harry and the three ladies behind him sight silently despite the fact that those around them were in states of outrage the members of House Black remained calm. Dumbledore couldn't help but notice that Narcissa Malfoy had resumed leaning forward to whisper into Harry's ear, the sight sending a twinge of fresh uncertainty at the future through Dumbledore as he sat waiting for the chaos to run its course.


	7. Chapter 7: Flight From Death

**It should be mentioned that I do not own Harry Potter. I can only thank Rowling for this sandbox that so many individuals, myself included, get to dream in. I write only because I have read so many fanfics that I've begun having my own ideas that refuse to get out of my head.**

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Andromeda Tonks sat to the right of Harry in the Black family box while the wizengamot that had erupted into chaos was pushing on its tenth minute of noisy chaos. Through that whole time she, her sister, daughter, and nephew had remained seated and had remained calm and silent. With the exception of Narcissa spending much of the time leaned forward to whisper into her son's ear as she pointed out the many visible political intricacies at work. Regardless of the political wisdom of revealing so many secrets and throwing the gauntlet down at Voldemort, Narcissa was using this as an opportunity to show just how the various players and factions of the Wizengamot reacted and interacted.

With almost the entirety of the English Wizarding Society's governing body on its feat and at each other's throats alliances and hatreds were very visible in such an emotional state. By and large the Light and Dark were hurling accusations back and forth while the Neutrals were fractured, but even inside of the larger actions there was clearly old issues rising to the surface as inside of their own factions sides were clearly being drawn. The Dark was particularly fractured in this regard but the Light was not exempt either.

The issues causing each of the schisms varied from group to group. In the Light faction judging by known political players squaring off and shouting at one another it had more to do with the fact that certainly families had been complicit or supportive of the Ministry's efforts to deny Voldemort's return. Others were arguing over Sirius Black's innocence. Across the chamber by and large the schisms were along the lines of Dark families that had supported Voldemort in the previous war against those that had not. As for the neutrals they were torn with every argument imaginable even some that clearly hadn't been addressed by Harry's address but instead were older grievances that had never been forgotten.

Through it all spells hadn't yet flown although wands were being waved in threats. There was no real danger as the boxes all were warded and shielded to protect the occupants within. Andromeda watched as one particularly rabid neutral head of house threw a crumpled ball of parchment at the head of another family only for the family to deflect off the box wards to land in the aisles. Her eyes glanced from one feud and argument to another all around the room before her eyes finally stopped momentarily on Dumbledore who was sitting at the Chief Warlock's post waiting for the uproar to tire clearly looking his years. Her eyes shifted continued to scan the room stopping on one of the few boxes that wasn't occupied with someone on their feet throwing accusations.

Three boxes to the left and row down but still safely in the heart of the Light sat Susan Bones. Andromeda's hard expression softly seeing the orphaned girl. It was not even three weeks ago her Aunt and last living relative had died during a Death Eater raid and her family home put to the torch. Rumor held that Voldemort himself had participated in the attack on the previous head of the DMLE's residence. What was whispered was that young Susan had only survived by using an escape tunnel while her aunt had fought the Death Eaters buying her niece time to escape and live.

Susan much like her nephew Draco on the other side of the room had a lawyer serving as her proxy lacking any family members to serve as a proxy until she was of age. The girl simply looked sad and tired and ignored all the people arguing. Though when she took a moment to glance to the side at the Black box and Harry, Andromeda's brow visibly rose for a moment as she watched the young girl out of the corner of her eye. Andromeda's trained eye studied the girl and saw she had clearly been trained in pureblood politics given her family but she was clearly not ready yet for the full burden.

As the tone of arguments shifted ever so slightly Albus Dumbledore finally took to his feat once more at the Chief Warlock's position. A single cannon blast from the aged wizard's wand brought a halting silence. "Gentlemen and Ladies. Enough. There will be time for discussion and argument later but I will remind you that we are still in session, and we have yet two more houses under fresh leadership." He turned his gaze to the Light's side of the chamber and gazed softly on the late Amelia Bones's niece who was silent still. "Miss Bones. Would you like to address the chamber?"

In the House Bones box Susan quietly listened to the lawyer that sat next to her. As a legal minor still she like Draco and Harry could not directly vote and required a proxy. Still before she named a proxy like Harry she was allowed to address the Wizengamot, in fact due to a quirk of law as the last of House Bones she was allowed to address the legislative body as often as she liked, she simply needed a proxy to cast a vote. As the young woman stood but did not immediately speak Andromeda scanned the room again. Though many were now looking to Susan Bones, there were still plenty of eyes on the Black box. Andromeda had no doubt that Harry's near unrecognizable appearance had a bit to do with the continued attention though she had to wonder how many had noticed how Harry had called her his Aunt. Given a flash from the press box up amidst the spectator's balcony she spotted a cameraman sitting next to Rita Skeeter and Andromeda had no doubt a great many articles the following day's Prophet would be devoted to Harry.

Finally though after Susan Bones had been standing in her family's ancestral box for more than two minutes Dumbledore finally raised his wand and brought about silence and order to allow the young woman to speak. Like Harry she was not yet at her majority and the lawyer beside her remained seated to allow her to address the assembly as she finally spoke.

"Honored Warlocks and Sorceresses. I am the last of the House of Bones. If I am honest in all likelihood my line's name will end with me. This is a fact I have known and been forced to recognize even before my aunt's murder at the wands of Death Eaters and You-Know-Who. Harry Potter has already spoken of how we need to face him. My aunt was facing him since his return. She spoke to me of how she doubted events and while she didn't necessarily believe him without evidence, neither did she dismiss it out of hand. So she prepared what she could just in case. But in the end even with preparation she was cut down trying to buy time to allow for me to escape. Voldemort killed my Aunt and Death Eaters burned my home. Many of you knew her and knew how powerful a witch she was. And yet her strength and her preparations were not enough. I can only urge everyone to gather together. Standing alone is not enough no matter how strong you are. You-Know-Who is stronger. Only together unified can we have a hope of beating him. I ask everyone to stand together against him as one."

And with that she sat and there was quiet murmuring throughout the chamber. Unlike Harry there had been no phenomenal bombshells dropped. The news of the burning of the Bones Estate and the murder of Amelia Bones had made the prophet and already been well covered. Supposedly Susan was now living in hiding under Auror protection but Andromeda hadn't paid much attention to that. While her proxy would vote how the young girl instructed she was still only one vote, Andromeda had paid far more attention to the swing neutral votes and the Dark faction in preparation to her duties as the proxy of House Black.

Dumbledore gave the murmuring a few seconds to continue before speaking loudly, this time at least he did not need a cannon blast from his wand to bring order to the room. "Finally we have a message from Mr. Draco Malfoy on behalf of his father Mr. Lucius Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy you are free to address the assembly."

Across the chamber Andromeda's niece stood and she watched as he instinctively smoothed his robes free of wrinkles with his hands. Beside her Narcissa had gone momentarily silent midway through whispering to Harry feeding him information as Andromeda's sister focused on her elder son across the way. After a final moment of glaring at his family across the way Draco finally composed himself and looked over the rest of the assembled chamber before speaking.

"Many of you know my father. You have heard him speak for years. Many of you know him to be a reasonable figure willing to listen." Draco went silent for a moment. "I am not my father however. Neither is the Dark Lord." The chamber suddenly erupted into angry noises as the Light was outraged that anyone would address them on behalf of Voldemort. "My Lord has been silent these last two weeks because of him." Draco pointed across the way to the Black box and all four occupants stiffened. "The Dark Lord wants you all to know who you raise up as your hero. That is not the son of James Potter and the mudblood. He's a pureblood and my little brother."

Draco smiled cruelly as the chamber by now was on its feet on all sides. It didn't matter if they were Dark, Gray, or Light, the lie just thrown into the light was almost as big a bombshell as Voldemort's own halfblood status. "Come on Potter." Draco shouted continuing to taunt even as he had to shout over the mass of wizards and witches on their feet, a glance up if anyone looked would show even the visitor's box was in pandemonium. "Why don't you tell them your real name. Why don't you tell them your name is Leo Castor Malfoy. You revealed things about my Lord so I'll reveal things about you."

Across the chamber Harry was one of the only people still seated, behind him Andromeda, Narcissa, and Tonks were all on their feet watching the crowd in wary nervousness. Harry simply sat in his chair as still as stone his gaze fixed on Draco. Andromeda glanced down at her nephew even as she could see her daughter drawing her wand out of the sleeve of her robes as she stood to one side of Harry shielding him with her body from the gaze of those to the side. Andromeda glanced to the Chief Warlock's podium and saw Dumbledore sitting ashen faced clearly in shock. She wondered what part was the cause. Was it that someone had broken his magical binding on Draco allowing him to report on the meeting at Gringots? It hadn't been Narcissa, her sister hadn't returned home to Malfoy Manor once since the meeting instead spending her nights at Andromeda's humble home to remain in London to be closer to her long lost and only newly rediscovered son.

Still Draco was continuing to speak but by this point Andromeda could no longer hear her nephew's words over the roar of confusion and fury from the crowd. In fact it was only when it was too late that Andromeda noticed the black robed figures emerging from the chamber's entrance. The first flash of spells flying gleamed as the deadly light of half a dozen spells reflected on an equal number of skull faced masks. On the opposite side of the chamber Dumbledore at the podium managed to get to his feet and produce a gleaming barrier of magic to intercept two of the spells but the other four struck home striking causing chaos and unleashing anarchy and pandemonium in the chamber as explosions erupted. More spells quickly erupted as the Death Eaters unleashed spells in pairs overwhelming key barriers protecting key House Boxes. By the fourth pair of spells striking home the barriers protecting the boxes of the Houses Bones, Weasley, and McKinnon all came crashing down and a final set of spells raced into each through the gaps in magical defense to strike home.

After that the Death Eaters parted and in walked Voldemort himself in all hideous glory followed by many many more Death Eaters. Everyone throughout the chamber, even Dumbledore was seemingly paralyzed by the impossible sight before them. Voldemort here, in the heart of the Ministry, the beating heart of Magical England standing openly amidst them all. Where were the Aurors? Where were the guards? How had no alarm been sounded. Surely there would have been some warning before they could make their way this deep into the Ministry. But the impossible had occurred and the entire chamber was silent as they watched Voldemort move to the center of the chamber a smile on his face even as the Death Eaters spread out throughout the chamber. Andromeda drew her wand but kept it low it and her arm quite still while her sister did the same and Tonks shifted in the box to move closer to the front where she could attack or shield as needed.

After a moment of slowly turning looking at each of the shocked faces looking down at him from the assembly and the viewing box Voldemort began to laugh. It started low but slowly grew as he remained incredibly amused. "Well now. Isn't this a pleasant surprise. All of you here. Talking about me. I wonder how many of you would dare to say the same if I had been here from the start. Still I am here now. Come. Surely some of you have your precious words to say to me. Speak now." His voice was the kind that implied warm friendliness but that warmth failed to reach his read eyes even as he smiled cruelly at his captive audience. "My my my. So quiet. I almost hesitate to think that you were afraid of me. But that can't be true not with all those brave brave words you were shouting at one another earlier."

And then he turned to look finally at the Black family box. "Harry Harry Harry. I must admit when I first learned the truth about you I must admit I was shocked. Harry Potter a pureblood. Harry Potter the secret Malfoy. Harry Potter the lie." His gaze flicked up above Harry to Narcissa standing behind where Harry was still sitting frozen. "While I cannot fault you for choosing your family. It is a supposedly admirable quality or so I am told. You did choose the wrong son. I think a punishment is in order."

Suddenly Voldemort whirled his face loosing all mirth and shifting to reveal fury as his wand thrust at the opposite side of the chamber. " _Avada Kedavra!_ " He roared and the near blinding green light, the same light that had until recently been the same shade as Harry's . The killing curse shattered its way through the barrier protecting a particular box and struck home at its target. For the briefest of moments Draco Malfoy's eyes were the same shade that the brother he had never known until the end but had hated for years. And then it was gone his eyes normal once more as he fell to the ground dead. The chamber was perfectly still as Voldemort slowly turned back to look at the House of Black. Narcissa stared in shock tears beginning to run down before she lifted an immaculate hand to wipe them clear and then narrowed her eyes in building fury and rage at the Dark Lord that had just killed her elder son before her very eyes while she had remained helpless to do anything to stop him.

Harry slowly rose up to his feet his hands tightly griping the armrests of his seat as he pushed himself upwards to stand at the front of the box and look at Voldemort. But Andromeda standing to his side could not help but feel nervousness as Harry's face was not filled with rage, or fury, or even fear. Infact he almost seemed resigned. Finally though someone spoke to challenge Voldemort's unchallenged dominance within the chamber. All eyes turned to the podium of the Chief Warlock as Dumbledore himself slowly walked down from it to stand on the chamber floor his wand in his hand at his side. "You should not have done this Tom." Dumbledore said in surprising calm. His face seemed expressionless almost as if he was contemplating the day's weather and not standing before Voldemort.

Voldemort smirked wheeling and lifting his wand made a gesture as if to dismiss Voldemort's words. "You should have known better than to try and hide the truth from me Old Fool." Then his face instantly twisted into a cruel and vicious snarl of rage as his wand shot out and with one movement three spells in rapid succession shot forth. Dumbledore brought his wand up in swift upper diagonal cut and in a single movement transfigured the floor of the chamber creating a barrier that rose up. As the trio of spells two red and one green slammed into the transfigured stone barrier the chamber erupted into frenzy as the occupants tried to escape while Dumbledore engaged Voldemort. The Death Eaters launched their spells but many were premature slamming into the barriers protecting the house boxes before their occupants had tried to escape. From the Dark dozens conjured skull masks and moved out to join the invading Death Eaters along with a handful of figures from the Neutral section. But not all did so. Almost a third of the heads of houses of the Dark moved out casting spells at the Death eaters next to them while the Light and the Neutrals unleashed spells back across the chamber at the barriers of the Dark boxes or at the Death Eaters on the chamber floor. Just as many of the Light were too hasty and their initial salvos of spells struck against the same barriers that protected their foes boxes as did their own.

Heads of houses made valiant stands to draw the wrath of Death Eaters as the chamber erupted into a near free for all while families and friends tried to make for the safety of the chamber's exit. The first that made it out were struck down by flashing spells of killing curse green by the Death Eaters waiting outside and the corpses of those that died trying to escape fell to join the bodies of the Aurors that lay on the floor where they had fallen attempting to defend the chamber. Inside frenzy quickly mounted as the chamber was filled with flashes of spellfire so thick that on both sides allies were cut down by friendly spellfire in all the confusion.

Andromeda didn't focus on the rest of the chamber. She didn't even focus on where Dumbledore dueled Voldemort in the center of the chamber in a visual display of spell casting so blindingly fast and so destructive that it might well become legend if any lived to survive the death trap the chamber had become. Instead her only focus was her sister, her daughter, and of course her nephew Harry. Harry's wand flicked again and again conjuring barriers to intercept spells coming their way and Andromeda did the same while by unspoken understanding Narcissa and Tonks both retaliated with ruthless offensive spells. Neither Auror or Matron were using anything less than lethal spells as the four of them worked as one to try and escape the chamber. Voldemort was too tied up in his duel to try and stop him and those of the Death Eaters that tried to directly stop them found their attacks deflected or stopped by Harry or Andromeda's shields and barriers to be cut down heartbeats later by Tonks or Andromeda. They were the first group to make it to the hallway outside of the chamber that was not instantly cut down although Andromeda felt her knees shaking under the heavy weight of spellfire that had been concentrated on the area immediately outside the chamber's exit where more Death Eaters were waiting for them.

It was Harry that broke a hole in the Death Eaters, not his aunt or cousin as a particularly powerful _Bombarda_ that forced Death Eaters to throw themselves to the side passages of the hallway to stay alive. As one the four broke into a run forward and Andromeda found herself throwing spells backwards at the Death Eaters now behind them keeping them from mounting an effective retaliation. As they rounded a corner she could see others covered in spell burns and blood making it to the relative safety of the hallway behind them but she fought her healer's instincts to stop and help them. Her priority as a member of House Black was to get Harry to safety.

They made it safely to the lifts after encountering another group of Death Eaters that were still fighting a pair of Aurors. The Death Eaters caught up in their fight fell all three of them to the spells coming from the Blacks and left the pair of Aurors alive though winded. The two didn't stop though as they shouted orders at them. "Make for the Atrium. Moody is holding a defense of the fireplaces so people can escape but the Death Eaters attacked in force. Get out as quick as you can and don't stop." The Aurors clearly didn't recognize Harry for who he was, few did after all and even then they were only those that knew what he now looked like. Tonks was wearing Auror battle robes and while Narcissa might have been a known associate of a Death Eater the simple fact was she wasn't running around wearing a skull faced mask which meant that anything else about her went out the window.

The four moved past quickly and made it safely to the lifts and Tonks promptly pushed the button for the Atrium. Immediately the elevator began to move backwards before moving sideways and then upwards at an astounding speed. Finally it stopped at the Atrium and the doors opened to reveal the flash and glare of spellfire as Death Eaters attacked a conjured barricade guarding the path to the floo access fireplaces that were the path to safety for all within the Ministry. Volunteer Ministry workers stood the barricade casting spells at the force of Death Eaters already within the Ministry that were trying to retake the exit while half a dozen Aurors stood in the open area of the Atrium traded spells with Death Eaters.

The Aurors all worked in pairs usually one shielding and casting defensively while the second was the offensive half against he Death Eaters. Sometimes midway through a spellcasting chain one would stop only to switch with the other as the Aurors worked in perfect practiced unison. In the center of the chamber Mad Eye Moody himself was dueling the unmistakable form of Belatrix Lestrange herself. Veteran Legendary Auror matched spell for spell with the Dark Lord's right hand lieutenant. Both already showed signs of a lengthy battle that had already gone on as blood was running from the side of his already scarred face and he was moving with a limp that was more than just the wooden leg. As for Belatrix her robes showed multiple burns from spells and blood was running down her left arm from beneath her robes flowing from an unseen wound but that did not stop her cackling shrieking laughter as she traded spells back and forth in a whirl of movement as she dueled one on one the greatest living Auror.

It was right as Narcissa, Harry, Tonks, and Andromeda made it away from the elevators and had just walked into the open area of the Atrium that a spell cast from the side by a freshly arrived Death Eater emerging from a side corridor caught Mad Eye in the side and he crumpled to the ground blood begining to run from his mouth. He retaliated with a spell back at the masked death Eater but his spell was late as the green of the killing curse from Belatrix's wand got to the interfeering Death Eater first. The sight of Belatrix killing one of her own allies momentarily halted the battle in the atrium and that was just long enough for Bleatrix to turn and notice her sisters, niece, and nephew all behind her she turned with a crazed smile on her lips.

"Can't take mine, can't take from me. They took what was mine, they took from me. No more shall not lie, all who interfere shall die." She cackled out in rhyming insanity and many of those watching in stiff shock glanced between Belatrix and the fresh group. Belatrix staggered forward her legs moving stiffly as she walked towards her estranged family. "Hello lovely sisters. Did you come to watch? It is so lovely so much red everywhere. I love to have it on me." Her eyes drifted to the side in hazy madness at where Harry stood behind Tonks watching his deranged aunt over his cousin's shoulder.

Making a dismissive movement with her wand to the side indicating for Tonks to move Belatrix staggered closer still. "Pottey Pottey Pottey. Why didn't you tell me I was your aunt. I would have held you close as I watched you die. We are family after all." She cackled madly in amusement as if she were privy to some great joke. "Another Black. Another Black. Another Black again. Keep going, keep killing watch the blood coat the walls. " Belatrix clearly lost in her own insanity suddenly slashed her wand to the side and with a powerful spell used a hurricane force gust of wind to scatter the women of the House of Black standing around Harry. Harry's wand arm came up but Belatrix's wand hand slashed again and a stray piece of debris shot in from the side to slam into Harry's side sending him to the floor.

To the side Andromeda's eyes widened as she scrambled for where her wand had rolled to trying to get to her feet and to her wand in time to stop her deranged sister. But there was no time. Her fingers barely closed on the wood as the dreaded words came from Belatrix's lips. "Avada Keda..."

Suddenly Bleatrix seemingly choked on the words and she gasped for air with an expression as if someone or something had just slammed into her driving all the air from her lungs. Pain erupted across her face for a moment as she gasped for air before she tried again. "Ava.." The expression repeated and Belatrix dropped to her knees in pain and shock as Andromeda scrambled to her feet pointing her wand at her insane murderous sibling in confused fury. Belatrix continued to gasp for air while all the Atrium, Aurors and Death Eaters alike watched in confusion and fear and more than a few noticed the look of dawning understanding on Belatrix's face as she continued to gasp for air.

A fresh bout of insane giggling laughter erupted from her as she tilted her head back and laughed not even picking up her fallen wand from where it had rolled a foot away from her. Unsure of what was occurring Andromeda, Narcissa, and Tonks now all once more on their feet formed protective ranks around Harry who like them watched in rapt attention at the insanity before them. As the laughter died Belatrix began to whisper words over and over. By the third time she was loud enough others could begin to hear the same words repeated over and over again.

"For the Black" she repeated as she lunged for her wand and Andromeda and Narcissa and Tonks all three cast shielding spells but their spells were untested as the killing curse green shot out to the side at a freshly arriving Death Eater. "For the Black." She repeated again whirling to her other side casting a sickly yellow light that cast three Death Eaters standing frozen to the side and then she whirled again and shrieking out a scream of "FOR THE BLACK!" She launched a purplish black spell against the barricade that erupted in deadly acid that quickly destroyed the barricade of debris from the walls and the golden statues that had once adorned the Atrium. Finally she whirled facing the frozen members of the House of Black and bowed low her wand far to her side as she bowed. "My Warlock of Black. Give me a command."

Those still alive in the chamber could only stare frozen as Belatrix still bowed low before Harry and the others giggled once more in insanity.


End file.
